


Everyone Can See (You're Perfect for Me)

by salutedeluxe



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Anal Sex, Blowjobs, Duet, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, I suck at tagging sorry, M/M, Vloggers, YouTube, minimal angst, youtubers au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-21
Updated: 2015-06-21
Packaged: 2018-04-05 08:44:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 23,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4173426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/salutedeluxe/pseuds/salutedeluxe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Youtubers Au. Harry and Louis are best friends, roomates, and a duet. They might also be soulmates, they just have to figure it out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Everyone Can See (You're Perfect for Me)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [whitedandelions](https://archiveofourown.org/users/whitedandelions/gifts).



> So this is my first fic in the fandom, I hope you like it! 
> 
> I have to give props to my wonderful beta Linda, who helped wip this into shape. Go give her some love on [tumblr](http://boo-hazza-larry.tumblr.com/). 
> 
> That’s about it, thank you for reading. Enjoy! x  
> [come say hi on tumblr](http://madeintheamera.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Disclaimer: This is a complete work of fiction, and in no way does it represent One Direction.

Louis wakes up to the sound of Harry playing his guitar. He can tell that the younger boy is trying to learn a song because he keeps playing the same chords over and over again. After a while, Harry adds his voice, not really singing, but humming with his guitar.

Louis lies in bed and listens for a while, loving the way Harry's voice carries throughout their flat. The older boy decided a while ago that Harry’s voice was his favorite sound in the world. Harry’s voice is just so beautiful and passionate and strong that Louis could listen to it forever. Though, he’s never told anyone this before. He thinks that it might be weird to say that your best mate’s voice is your favorite sound in the world.

That’s a bit romantic and sappy. And the two of them are not like that, despite what people might think.

After a while of just lying in bed Louis thinks it's probably time to get up and take a shower. After his shower he gets dressed in a pair of black jeggings that he rolls up at the ankles and a red shirt, showing off his collar bones. He lets his hair stay flat, deciding against putting product in it.

Once he is dressed he goes out to the living room, finding Harry still on the couch and still playing the same few chords over and over. Louis stands in the entrance to the living room that goes to and from the kitchen. He watches Harry for a moment, admiring his broad shoulders and his curly hair, he catches himself staring and decides that he needs to stop being creepy.

"Don't wear out your voice Haz, save it for the video," Louis says, causing Harry to jump.

"Lou you scared me, you know not to sneak up on me when I'm playing,” Harry says, turning to look at Louis.

Louis laughs and walks over to Harry and sits on the couch in the seat next to him.

"Sorry, but you get really spacy when you're playing, there’s not really another way to get your attention.”

“Yeah, I know I do, sorry about that. I just really want to get this song down before my next class.”

Harry is studying music at uni, and is currently learning guitar. His class is led by a TA named Niall, who has become a really great friend to both Harry and Louis. Harry started taking guitar so that he could play it for the videos that he and Louis put up on YouTube of them signing. Niall also does YouTube, he only started about five months ago, but because Harry and Louis promoted him so much he already has a million subscribers. Niall’s videos though are just of him talking about his life, he doesn’t do much else on there, but his Irish charm and good looks have done well for him.

"Yeah, yeah, anyways, come help me set up so that we can record before it gets dark," Louis says standing up and motioning for Harry to follow him to his bedroom.

Saturday is the day they reserve for filming as it usually takes all day to film a video in its entirety. On Monday's they choose their song and start an arrangement. Usually Niall or one of their other music friends will come over and help them create the track they will sing to and that will be overlapped onto the video. Then for the rest of the week they will practice at random times making sure their harmonies and solos are good. On Sunday Louis will edit the video and upload it. Then he spends time promoting the video on social media and reading and replying to comments.

Harry will read comments when he can, but because he is in uni he doesn't usually have the time to. Louis is taking a gap year right now so that he has time to work on this YouTube thing they're doing and decide what he wants to do when he actually does go to uni.

He's guessing he'll probably do music, or maybe video, but he's got a while before he has to decide. The school year has just began for everyone else. Usually, Harry and Louis would have gone back to school together, like they have for every other year since first grade.

The two boys met when Louis was 7 and Harry was 6, they have been inseparable ever since. Despite being a year apart in age, they were always in the same grade because of Louis’s late birthday. At 16 and 15 they decided to start a YouTube channel where they would post videos of them singing.

Louis came up with the idea so that he could spend more time with Harry, and Harry did it because he wanted to be a singer. When they started they had expected to maybe get a few subscribers and maybe a hundred views. Now three years later they have over three million subscribers and their channel has over a billion views. They even started to upload vlogs once in a while when they have the time, which isn't often now that school is in full swing for Harry.

Thanks to the money from their YouTube channel, Louis was able to take his gap year and they were able to move to London straight after high school. They found a two bedroom flat close to Harry's university and have been living here for two months.

"What were you practicing, I didn't know it?" Louis asks Harry while they set up lights on either side of Louis’s bed.

"It was this really cool song from this indie band I found last week, you wouldn't know it and I’m not even going to tell you what it was because you’ll call it stupid and pretentious, " Harry says looking at Louis with a sly grin.

Despite being best friends and a singing duo, the biggest arguments they get in involve music tastes. Harry is into indie, folk, and classic rock, whereas Louis is into the top forty's and catchy pop. They can never agree on what song to do each week.

"Ha ha ha Harold. Think it's funny that you like music that nobody listens to."

" _Heyyyy_ , I listen to it thank you very much.”

"Whatever, we are not starting this conversation again.” Louis says as he reaches for the bag where they keep the camera. “We already know who is right and who is wrong.”

The older boy is smirking now, knowing that he always wins this argument.  Louis is glad to have a best mate where the only arguments they get in are about music and any real arguments they have been in they talk about immediately and work through them.

This week Louis decided that they should sing Ed Sheeran's “Thinking Out Loud.” He thinks that it is a really pretty song and vocally fits both his and Harry’s voice. Also, their fans get really excited whenever they sing a love song.

Or more importantly the fans that believe that him and Harry are secretly together. The shipping started at 5,000 subscribers. A girl called Cami, who still comments on every video, started it all saying that it looked like they were in love with each other when they were singing, they had “heart eyes” she said, and would make a cute couple. She started to make “proof” videos, ran a popular blog and kept “Larry Stylinson” alive in the Harry and Louis fandom.

Harry and Louis laughed it off, and thought that it was crazy that people thought they were gay and more importantly gay for each other. They addressed it in the videos saying they were just friends and also straight, but the shipping didn’t stop.

Little did they know, they were both gay, they just hadn't come out to each other yet.

The support of their viewers who were supportive of LGBT people gave them both the courage to come out to each other.

It was late at night and they were in Louis’s basement playing FIFA. Neither had planned on coming out, but it just sort of happened. They started talking about some news story that neither of them remember and Harry just blurted out some joke about not being straight. He had been mortified at outing himself, but then Louis just said, “same,” they hugged and cried then they didn’t really talk about it for the next few months.

The only few times they talked about it was about their celebrity crushes and their real crushes. When they decided to come out to their families they did it together. It _was_ a question if they were together, but they set it straight (pun not indented) that they were just friends and did not love each other that way.

That hadn’t been the whole truth. But neither of them had known it then.

 

\----

 

“Hey, I’m Louis.”

“And I’m Harry, and we are…”

“Harry and Louis.”

“This week,” Harry says, “We are going to sing Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran. So here it is.”

“Ok,” Louis says “I think that we got the intro shot, we can move on to the outro.”

The intro and the outro are always the first thing they film because they are the easiest. They have a system down, it comes easy after doing it for three plus years.

“I’ve been Harry.”

“I’ve been Louis.”

“We’ve been Harry and Louis.”

“Thanks for watching, don’t forget to give this video a thumbs ups and leave us a comment.” Louis says giving the thumbs up sign.

“And don’t forget to click subscribe and follow us all over the internet, all our links will be in the description bar below.”

After they finish the intro and outro they move on to filming the actual singing part of the video. They use different techniques depending on the song. Sometimes they will try do it all in one shot, and other times they will film it in parts. With this song they want to film it in parts because of the different harmonies and solos.

Harry sings the opening:

_When your legs don't work like they used to before_

_And I can't sweep you off of your feet_

_Will your mouth still remember the taste of my love?_

_Will your eyes still smile from your cheeks?_

Louis joins him after the first verse harmonizing with Harry's low notes:

_And, darling, I will be loving you 'til we're 70_

_And, baby, my heart could still fall as hard at 23_

_And I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways_

_Maybe just the touch of a hand_

_Well, me - I fall in love with you every single day_

They take turns on the rest of the verses, and harmonize the last verse:

_So, baby, now_

_Take me into your loving arms_

_Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars_

_Oh, darling, place your head on my beating heart_

_I'm thinking out loud_

_That maybe we found love right where we are_

_Oh, baby, we found love right where we are_

_And we found love right where we are_

It takes about 4 hours to film completely. After that they put away all the stuff they use to film while talking about the x factor, mostly who they want to win but also about all the contestants.

After they are done with that Harry announces that he is going to a friend’s house.

“Hey, I’m going to go to Ni’s, wanna come?”

Louis thinks about accepting the offer, but decides not to because he feels awkward around Harry’s uni friends. He feels like they are all more interesting and beautiful than him. They're nice, but the only thing he feels like he can relate with them about is Harry.

So while he needs friends, Louis thinks that he just wants to stay in for the night.

“No thanks, I think I’ll start editing the video."

“Lou, you don’t have to do that, we worked all day on it, plus you have all day tomorrow.”

“I know, I just want to stay in for the night, okay?”

Harry gives him a strange look but then decides to stop pressuring Louis and just go.

After being friends for so long, they have gotten good at knowing when to pressure each other and Harry feels like this is one time that he doesn’t need to.

After Harry leaves Louis sits down with his laptop and starts to edit. After an hour he takes a break and gets on twitter and tweets:

He spends a little time replying to tweets before going to find something to eat. Louis is shit at cooking but he makes himself some tea and a bowl of cereal and calls it good.

He eats on the couch while watching some TV before deciding to go to bed.

After changing into his pajamas and getting into bed. He realizes that it is only 10 and starts to feel lame.

So if he decides to have a wank before falling asleep, then no one has to know.

Especially if it’s the thought of green eyes, soft long curly brown hair, and thick pink lips that carry over the edge.

No one has to know.

 

\----

 

The next morning when Louis wakes up it's to the smell of bacon cooking.

Harry likes to cook and always tries to do so on Sunday for Louis, knowing that the boy has a lot of work ahead of him. Editing the videos takes a lot of work and Harry likes to make sure that Louis is taken care of, meaning stuffing him full of good, homemade food.

Louis gets up still in his pajamas and makes his way from his room to the kitchen.  He finds Harry hunched over the stove, his long hair is pulled up into a bun, shirtless and wearing a pair of grey joggers.

“Hi love,” Harry says turning to look at Louis. “I’m cooking breakfast for us.”

“Smells delicious Haz. You know your cooking is the only reason I keep you around.”

“Yeah, I know. And you know that I only keep you around for your tea making abilities.”

“Are you trying to tell me that you want me to make you some tea Harold?”

“Pretty please,” Harry says, pulling out his Bambi face.

“Fine, Harold, but put that face away,” Louis says, reaching down to grab the kettle out of the lower cabinet.

“You love it though.”

Louis doesn't respond, instead he turns to the sink to fill the kettle up with water. Once he is turned around and out of sight from Harry, he lets himself smile.

Because, fuck, does he love that face.

 

\----

 

“I was thinking that maybe we could film a vlog today,” Harry says, sitting at the table after their breakfasts have been devoured. “We haven't done one since this summer and we have time today since you edited a lot yesterday and I don’t have any school work.”

“Sure, we can do that,” Louis says finishing off his tea, thinking that he will have plenty of time to edit after they film. “What do you want to film?”

“I think a q&a is probably easiest right? I want you to have enough time to edit, so let’s do what’s easy. I can send out a tweet for questions.”

Louis nods his head while Harry pulls out his phone and starts typing.

After it’s sent Harry’s notifications start blowing up, questions already coming in only 30 seconds after he sent the tweet. They decide to let tweets come in while they get ready. The two boys separate to change into clothes, brush their teeth, and fix their hair, once they're done they meet in the living room.

“Where do you want to film?” Harry asks Louis. They usually will alternate between their two bedrooms and the living room to film, but they don’t have a set schedule.

“Let’s do it in your room, we used mine yesterday,” Louis tells Harry.

“Okay, why don’t you go set up the camera and I’ll find questions.”

“Sounds good.”

About ten minutes later Harry walks into his room, phone in hand.

"Okay I have some good ones screenshoted," Harry says. “A lot of people want to know if we have girlfriends, well at least the people who don’t think that we are together. It might be weird if we don’t answer the question soon.”

The two decided after they came out to each other that it would be best if they didn’t come out to their audience. It wasn’t because they were afraid people were going to think they were together, a lot of people already thought that and it didn’t bother them. They were worried that being publically out would hurt their chances of getting record deals and jobs in the future. They knew that it was not the best move, they knew that they would have support, but it was the decision that they made when they were really young and new to YouTube. They don’t have any plans to come out anytime soon.

“Well, we can just say that we are both single,” Louis says. “I mean it’s the truth. Unless you have something to tell me?”

“No, Lou, I don’t have anything to tell you. You know that if I did I would.” Harry pauses for a moment. “And we don’t have to use any gender pronouns, so it’s not like we’re lying.”

“Yeah.” That’s all Louis says, but internally he thinks of all the times they have had to lie in the past. Like when Harry got a boyfriend when he was 16 and again at 17, they would talk about Harry’s “girlfriend” even though he was with a boy. Louis’s never really had a boyfriend, just the boy that was kind of a boyfriend when he was 15 who he had his first kiss with and who he lost his virginity to, but that was before they started YouTube, and it wasn’t serious. Since then, he’s only ever had one night stands, so he's never had to claim that he had a “girlfriend.”

After a while they realized that they were lying and that they didn’t want to do that again so they decided to just not talk about their love lives in the videos. This decision had people saying that it was more proof that they were together. Which is why Harry probably thinks that they should talk about it now, because it’s becoming a bigger and bigger thing as time goes on without them addressing it.

“What other questions did you choose?”

“Just some about music, food, and other random stuff. A few funny ones too.”

“Okay,” Louis says. “Sit down so that I can white balance this camera.”

Harry sits and looks up and smiles, not at Louis but at the camera. Once Louis sees Harry’s reflection in the camera his heart does this thing where it flutters and he stops breathing.

“Fuck,” Louis says in a quiet whisper, not being able to control his reactions to the beautiful boy in front of him.

Harry doesn't notice.

 

\----

 

“Okay, the next question comes from **_@harrysvoiceismyhappyplace: Do you want to have children? Have my babies please!!!!! xxxx_** ** _” #askLouandHaz_**

**_ _ **

Harry looks up from his phone and at Louis, “So Lou, do you want to have kids?”

“100 percent I do want kids, but I don’t think it’s going to be by you @harrysvoiceismyhappyplace sorry. Maybe Harry will have your babies, what do you say Haz?”

“Yes, that is a yes from me. Please call me. Let’s get this set up.”

The two boys start laughing, not because this is funny in the typical sense, but because they have always found it funny how many female fans they have throwing themselves at them, but that they aren’t even attracted to women. Harry always makes a joke about it that gets edited in a funny way.

Probably another reason that people are so sure they have their sexualities figured out.

Their laughing is interrupted when Harry’s phone starts ringing. He looks down at it, and so does Louis. Louis doesn't recognize the number though and there isn't a contact name to tell him who it is.

“Why are they calling on a Sunday?” Harry says to himself. “This is weird, sorry Lou I have to take this.”

Harry gets up and walks out of the room answering the phone with a _hello_ and _yes, this is Harry Styles_ as he exits the room. Once he is gone Louis stands up, turns the camera off and grabs his laptop to get some work done while Harry is out of the room.

Louis tries not to eavesdrop, but he can’t help but hear some of what Harry is saying.

“Okay...yeah I understand...you can just email me...yeah that sounds great.”

The conversation takes about 30 minutes in which Louis gains virtually no information about who Harry is talking to.

When Harry comes into the room he looks distraught and unorganized, he is running his hand through his hair when he sits back down.

“Okay, let’s finish filming this. Sorry by the way, for answering the phone in the middle of filming and then taking forever.”

“It’s alright, I used the time to get some work done.” Louis wants to ask who he was talking to, and why he was gone so long, and why he looks so distraught, but he can tell that Harry doesn't want to talk about it.

So Louis puts his laptop away and turns the camera back on. As soon as he sits down Harry asks him a question. Louis can tell that something is wrong and that this footage is going to be unusable, but he doesn't want to upset Harry so he just answers the question.

 

\----

 

It’s a few hours later and Harry still hasn't said a word about the phone call.

In that time Louis has managed to finish editing the video and upload it. He is getting ready to reply to comments when Harry comes walking out of his room.

Louis turns to look at Harry, planning to ask him if he is okay, but Harry speaks first.

“I’m going to Niall’s, see you later.”

This time, it’s not an invitation or a question. He just goes.

This is when Louis gets worried. Harry always tells him everything, if he’s not talking to Louis that means that something is wrong. And him going to Niall’s means that he feels like he can’t talk to Louis about it.

Louis decides to take his mind off of the situation by replying to comments. That’s the only thing he can do right now. He has to wait for Harry to come to him, but he can’t get Harry off his mind for the rest of the night.

 

\----

 

When Harry knocks on Niall’s door it is almost ten o’clock at night and he didn’t call or text to tell him that he was coming.

“Fuck, who’s knocking on the door this late at night?” Harry hears Niall say through the door, presumably to his girlfriend Barbra.

Once the door opens there stands Niall, in a very disheveled state.

“Harry, fuck, what are you doing here? You interrupted Babs and I, we were going to do it,” Niall says, never one to be embarrassed to say what’s on his mind.

“Sorry,” Harry croaks out, “I just need someone to talk to, I should have called.” Harry turns around getting ready to walk away. “I’ll…”

“Wait, Harry, are you crying? What happened? Are you alright?” Niall says rushing out to grab Harry by the arm.

“I got a call back,” Harry says knowing that Niall will understand.

“And what, they didn’t want you guys? Haz I’m so sorry.” Niall pauses for a moment and after pulling Harry into a hug says, “But the music world is horrendous. You had to know that you were going to be rejected at some point. This isn’t the end, you’ll find something.”

“No, it’s not that.”

“Then what is it? And come inside and sit down, Babs will make us some tea.”

Harry enters Niall and Barbara's flat. He takes his shoes off and sits at the couch. He stays silent while Barbra makes them some tea, but as soon as he feels the warmth from the tea in his hands he lets the floodgates open.

“So, I did get a call from the record company and they said they love the videos and that they think that Louis and I are both lovely singers.”

“That’s great Haz.”

“It is.”

“So then what is the problem?”

“Well they said that if they were to bring anyone on they would want me. On my own.”

“Haz... that’s…”

“Yeah, it’s amazing for me and an incredible opportunity, but...”

“You’d have to quit what you’re doing with Louis.”

“Yeah, and it isn't just that. There’s just a ton of things to think about.”

“Why do they want you on your own?” Niall asks interrupting Harry.  
“They said that it would be easier to sell me as a solo act. They said that I have the stronger voice, which is shit because Louis can sing just as well. But they said that I come across as more friendly and charming and would attract a lot of fans of both genders. They also said that duo’s are hard to sell if they aren’t a heterosexual couple in a relationship, so yeah. Just me.”

“Shit. That fucking sucks.”

“Tell me about it. And it doesn't help that I didn't even tell Louis that I sent in a demo and a few videos to a record label, so now when I tell him he is going to be really upset because we always promised each other that we were in this together. Partners. But how can I not take this, fuck.”  Harry leans back against the couch and rubs his hands across his face. “This whole YouTube thing was his idea, he does all the work for it and now I’m going to tell him that I want to go and audition to be a solo artist. An opportunity I only got because of him.”

“So you want to take it then?”  
“Well, they didn't offer me a contract but an audition. And fuck, of course I want to take it, but fuck how do I tell him and how do I not feel like a piece of shit for going to the audition?”  
“I think you just have to be honest with him. I know Louis, that kid will support you through anything.”

“You really think so?”

“I know so. I mean you have been best friends for how long? And your friendship has gone through so much already, there is nothing that could split you two up. Your friendship is something that all people aspire to have.”

“I love him like a brother, I don’t want to hurt him. Or make him think that I take him for granted.”  
“Well what did you say after you got the call?”

“Nothing, I could tell he wanted to ask me about it, but like the saint he is, he didn’t. He’s waiting for me to come to him.”

“When’s your audition?”  
“Three weeks from yesterday.”

“Okay, well your first order of business is going to be to talk to Louis. And then to start practicing. We’re all here for you, okay Harry.”

“Thanks Niall.”

“Well, what are #2 best friends supposed to do?”

“Really, I owe you, I needed this right now.”

Niall puts his hand on Harry’s knee. “Mate, I’m always here for you.”

“Okay, yeah. But really, thank you.”

“If you really want to thank me, you’ll get the hell out of here so that I can resume having sex with my super hot girlfriend.”

“Okay, give me a hug though.”

The two boys stand up and hug. Niall leads Harry to the door and gives him another hug. “We’re all rooting for you. Even Louis.”

“I know. Thanks Niall. I love you.” Harry backs out of the doorway and to the outside. “Now go have sex with your girlfriend.”

“Don’t worry, I’m on it. Bye Harry.”

“Bye Nialler, text you tomorrow.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he hears Niall call while the door closes.

Harry lets out a laugh. Niall always can make him laugh when he needs to.

Harry zips up his jacket and starts in the direction home. He needs some sleep, tomorrow is going to be a big day.

 

\----

 

It’s midnight, Louis is in bed on his phone when he hears Harry enter the flat. He can hear him go to the bathroom and brush his teeth, then he goes to his room and must change out of his clothes because the next thing Louis hears is Harry opening his door and he is in his boxers.

“Louis are you awake?”

“Yeah,” Louis replies.

Harry walks around the bed so that he is on the other side and crawls into under the covers.

“I’m going to sleep in here tonight, is that okay?”

They used to do this all the time, share a bed that is. Whenever they would sleep over at each other’s houses, they would crawl into bed together. 

“Yeah that’s fine, just don’t steal all of the blankets.”

“Never,” Harry says faking insulted. “How’s the video doing?”

“Really good. People love the song.”  
“That’s good, I guess.”

“Yeah it is,” Louis says wondering why Harry sounds so uncertain that people liking the video is a good thing.

“When are you going to upload the vlog?”

“Tomorrow. People in the comments were demanding it so I better get it up ASAP.”

“Okay,” Harry says in the middle of a yawn. “Why don’t we get some sleep then?”

“Yeah sleep sounds good.”

Harry pulls Louis in closer while they’re still face to face.

“Want someone to cuddle.”

Louis’s not used to having Harry so close, but once he does he feels something he can’t quite pinpoint.

It makes his heart race. It feels good.

 

\----

 

Harry’s alarm goes off at 7 o’ clock, the time that he would usually have to get up to make it to class on time. When he rolls over the two of them are now situated so that it looks like Harry is Louis’ big spoon. Harry quickly shuts off his alarm so that he doesn’t wake Louis. He lies in bed for another moment or two before getting up as quietly as he can.

He walks from Louis’s room to his own, shutting the door behind himself. He can’t decide if he wants to actually go to classes or not. On the one hand, he really shouldn’t skip, but on the other hand Louis is much more important than anything that he would miss in class. If he were to go, it would only be to avoid having to talk to Louis.

Without deciding, Harry strips down and walks to the bathroom. He turns on the shower and when the water is the right temperature, he gets in. The first thing he does is put his face directly in the water, letting the warmth envelop him. He loves the warmth of the water and how it makes him feel calm and safe. After a few minutes of just standing there he washes his hair and body. Once he is all washed off he turns off the water, grabs a towel and gets out. He stands in the bathroom drying himself off. Once he is dry he grabs his toothbrush and toothpaste, making quick work of brushing his teeth.

He avoids looking at himself in the mirror, knowing that he can’t see himself right now. But he isn’t careful enough, and when he goes to put the brush back he catches his reflection.  
  
_“Who the fuck are you?”_ The voice in his head shouts _. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” “You’re the worst friend in the world.” “You’re a shitty person.” “Louis deserves better.”_

He forces himself to leave the bathroom. There are silent tears flowing down his cheeks and his whole body is shaking.

It shouldn’t be this hard.

 

 ----

 

“Harry?” The younger boy hears him before he sees him. “What are you still doing here? Didn’t your class start like 45 minutes ago?”

“Uh, yeah.” Harry stutters, turning around to face Louis. “But I decided to skip, because I need to…I need to talk to you.”

“Haz, you could have woken me up when you did, then you wouldn’t have had to skip.”

“No it’s fine.”

“Haz, is something wrong? You’re acting weird.”

“Yes…no…I don’t know, just I need to tell you something and I think that it might make you upset and mad at me.”

Louis could tell that something was wrong the moment that he entered the living room. Harry had this uncomfortable ease about him that Louis’s has only ever seen once before, when they were about to come out to their parents.

“What is it? You know you can talk to me about anything Harry.”

“I know. I think that not talking to you actually probably got me in more trouble. _Fuck, I’m so stupid_ ,” the last part comes out in a half shout, like Harry is mad at himself.

“Harry, you’re not stupid. And why do you think you’re in trouble?” Louis asks, moving to sit down next to Harry.

Before he starts talking Harry removes his hands from his eyes, sits up straight and takes a deep breath. “Well, about three months ago, right after we found out that we were 100% moving to London, I sent our demo and a few videos into a record label.”

“Okay,” Louis says, putting his hand on Harry’s arm.

“And I know that we always said that we were partners and that we would always make these decisions together, but I just did it by myself and then never told you. I mean I told Niall, everyone at school, my family and like all our friends at home, I don’t know why I didn’t tell you. I think probably because I was expecting good news and I wanted it to be a surprise.”

“Okay, what happened next?” Louis asks.

“Well see, what happened next is the problem. Yesterday, that call I got was from the record company. And well, what they offered is sort of good news, but also shitty news, terrible news.” Harry pauses, though Louis can tell that he has more to say.

“It’s okay, Harry, you can tell me I won’t be mad.” Louis mumbles, having no clue what Harry is about to tell him.

“Yes you are going to be mad,” Harry says. “I’m betraying our promise, our friendship, and the loyalty and trust that you put in me.”

“Harry, love, just tell me.”

“The label said that they would be interested in trying me out. Me, as in I would be a solo artist,” Harry says this so quickly that Louis almost doesn’t catch everything he says.

“Okay,” Louis says, not knowing what to say or think.

“And I was thinking of taking it, or going to the audition I mean.” Harry can’t look Louis in the eye, instead he is focusing on the ground.

“Harry, that’s great,” is all Louis can say. He needs a moment to think. He knows he’s not mad. Upset yes, confused yes, maybe a little heartbroken, yes. And there may be a little anger, but Louis could never be furious with Harry. “I’m happy for you.”

“You don’t look like you’re happy.”

“It’s just, this is a lot. I need some time to think.”

“Louis…”

“I’m not mad at you Harry, I just need to think.”

“Louis, you’re my brother and my best friend and I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I know, Harry.”

“But if you need space, then that is what I will give you, because I want you to be there for me, like I will always be there for you.”

Harry’s scared, he’s never seen Louis shut down like this before. The older boy’s whole body seems empty and frail. The color is gone from his cheeks.

“Do you want me to leave?” Harry asks. “Give you some time to think by yourself?”

Louis doesn’t answer right away, instead he takes a minute to stare at the ground and then at Harry’s face.

“Yeah, I think I just need…some…time,” Louis says, in a long drawn out breath.

“Okay, I’ll give you some time, Louis, but please don’t shut me out. Talk to me when you’re ready and don’t hold anything back. I need to hear what you’re going to say, what you’re thinking, even if you’re angry with me. I couldn’t take it, seeing you and not knowing what you’re thinking.”

Louis nods.

Harry gets up, grabs his backpack and walks towards the door. As he puts his hand on knob he hears Louis say quietly, “I’m not mad, H.”

He opens the door, turns back for one last glance at Louis. He leaves without saying anything, breaking into tears as soon as he is outside.

 

\----

 

The first thing that Harry thinks after leaving the flat is 1) that went surprisingly well compared to what he was imagining, 2) it also went really quick, 3) he believes that Louis isn’t mad at him but knows that he isn’t 100% on board.

Harry has no clue what to now, so he just starts walking.

 

\----

 

In the grand scheme of things Louis isn’t mad. Technically though, he is a little mad and hurt. Mad that Harry would go behind his back when they said they were partners, mad that he didn’t tell him what he was doing, mad that he wants to go through with this audition.

He’s also a little humiliated and jealous that a record label choose Harry, basically saying that Louis isn’t good enough and that Harry is better. In the beginning there would always be comments on their videos about how much of a better singer Harry was and that Louis wasn’t as good as Harry. But after seeing those comments the two of them decided that they had to remain united if they were going to make it.

And now Harry wants to leave.

The older boy knows rationally that Harry isn’t going to leave Louis, they will always be best friends. But still, Harry leaving means that things will change drastically. Everything that he has gotten used to, living with Harry, seeing Harry every day, singing with Harry, filming with Harry, just hanging out with Harry, that will stop.

That is what Louis is most scared of. That this routine, the familiar comfort of Harry, the security that his best friend brings will be gone.

It doesn’t matter to Louis that Harry is getting the recognition, Louis knows the younger boy deserves it, it’s just that now this recognition means that Louis will lose Harry in all the ways that have become important to him.

Louis feels himself starting to cry. Harry is his whole world.

His world is leaving him.

 

The first thing that Louis does is lie down on his bed. He grabs one of his extra pillows and snuggles it, holding it closely to his chest, trying to warm himself up. He tries not to cry, but he can’t help it; images of waking up alone, spending his days alone, watching Harry slip away, are all too much. The tears start to flow, despite his efforts to stop them.

He blinks, feeling the tiredness in his eyes before giving up and closing them. His eyelashes are stuck together, tears pool in the dip where his eye socket meets his cheek bone. The tears leave wet tracks down his face, dripping from his jawline to his chest, leaving him damp and uncomfortable. His crying is noisy, painful, and endless.

He grabs a tissue after 20 minutes, needing to blow his nose. He sits up and wipes his eyes, his emotions under more control. The tears continue to come out but only in small streaks.

“Fuck, I’m pathetic,” Louis mumbles.

He decides that he needs to get out of his bed, despite how comfortable it is. He needs a shower and something to eat.

 _Life will go on_ , he thinks.

A shower, sandwich, cup of tea and a run later Louis decides that he needs to talk to Harry.

 

\----

 

It’s been two hours since Harry left, he’s done nothing but walk around London. Doing nothing but think, which is making him torment himself. He keeps seeing Louis’s face and keeps hearing Louis tell him that he doesn’t want anything to do with him anymore that this betrayal was too big to forgive.

It’s tearing him apart. He feels his soul being crushed.

 _Louis is more important than all of this. He comes first._ Harry thinks. _Always has, always will._

Harry is so entrapped in his own world that he doesn’t realize his phone has vibrated with a new text until he goes to check the time.

Harry already running to get home when he hits send.

****

\----

 

When Harry gets home, the first thing that Louis notices is that Harry is out of breath and sweating profusely.

“Jesus, Harry, did you run here?” Louis jokes.

“Umm, yeah,” Harry says, “Sorry that’s pathetic, but I just needed to see you, couldn’t keep you waiting.” Harry looks like a puppy that’s just been punished.

“Harry, I already told you that I’m not mad, I could have waited. And don’t look so sad and scared to talk to me.”

“Okay, let’s talk then, yeah?”

The conversation that follows is long and a bit tense at times but it happens, which is what matters. They both cry but it’s good. Knowing what the other is thinking is important to both of them, and finding out that they are both as committed to their friendship no matter what happens is the most significant thing to come out of their talk.

They decide that they will announce a break to their viewers in the weeks leading up to the audition to give Harry time to practice and Louis to plan. They also decide to not tell the viewers about the audition, realizing that it would just lead to a lot of trouble that neither of them want. If Harry is leaving, they’ll deal with it when they know for sure.

It’s a good discussion that both of them needed. It reassured Louis that Harry is still committed to their friendship and it reassured Harry that Louis was going to support him no matter what. That’s all either of them could ask for.

When they separate for the night and Louis is locked away in his room, he pulls out his super-secret notebook.

This is where he keeps every song that he has ever written. Louis has never told anyone that he writes before, but he has, since he was fourteen. No one has ever read anything he has written and he wants to keep it that way.

He looks back through some of the things he has written, remembering how he was feeling when he wrote each one, there’s _strong_ the heartfelt song he wrote when he realized he was into guys.

“I wrote that for Harry,” Louis whispers, realizing what he has said out loud.

He cringes, _no, that’s not true is it?_ He thinks. _But it is_ his mind tells him after reading through the lyrics. _I wrote it for the way that Haz held my hand when I would cry, even when he didn’t even know what I was crying about, I wrote it about the way he comforted me after I got hate online, the way he protected me when I was scared._

_The way that he makes me feel inside when he looks at me. The way that a simple touch electrifies my skin. How endless my love for him is._

The more that Louis reads through his old songs, the more he realizes how everything that he has written is about Harry.

It’s terrifying and makes his heart pound.

But the reason that he got his journal out in the first place is because inspiration had struck. He grabs a pencil and starts writing.

Two hours later he finishes, scraping off the last of the eraser marks and putting his pencil away. He looks at his phone and discovers that it is three in the morning.

He runs his finger across the title again, _Don’t Forget Where You Belong_ , it reads.

Louis smiles and closes the book.

 _Time for bed_ , he thinks.

 

\----

 

The next time Louis wakes it’s because he hears noise coming from the living room.

“Hazza?” He calls. “Is that you?”

“Yeah, sorry, didn’t mean to wake you.”

Louis looks at his phone to see that it is 1 o’clock in the afternoon.

Groaning, he gets out of bed and goes to the living room, finding Harry taking off his boots.

“Morning, sunshine.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Louis says, giving Harry a sarcastic face. “Why are you home already?”

“Music theory got canceled.”

“Oh, okay.”

“I’ll make us a late lunch if you go take a shower, then we can film.”

“Okay.”

 

Yesterday they decided to film a quick video that would explain their hiatus. They didn’t want to do it like an official video, they wanted it to be a personal vlog so that people would feel that they did care and that they weren’t just in this for the money and exposer, they do actually love their fans.

Louis gets his small camera after they are done eating, they decide to sit on the couch together and film it from there.

“Let me tweet before we start, so that the announcement doesn’t just come from nowhere,” Harry suggests.

He checks with Louis to make sure that the tweet is good before sending it out. Once he does, he locks his phone and messes with his hair before telling Lou that he’s ready.

After a few awkward moments after turning on the camera and saying hi, they are fully into it.

“As you may have seen on twitter, Lou and I have an announcement to make.”

“Yeah, we do, but we want to let you know first before we tell you is that we love you guys and want to say thank you for supporting us, it truly means the world to us.”

“So, basically what is happening is that we are going to be taking a little break from this channel. Now before you freak out, the break is going to be a few weeks, and we will still be on twitter and Instagram, so there is no need to worry about not seeing us, we will be around. We just both think that right now we need a little break. We’ve been doing this nonstop for a few years now and we want to take a moment to breathe.”

“You’re probably wondering why we’re taking this break and we want to let you know and be honest that it is because of some personal reasons, but also just for us to recalibrate and so that we can come back strong.”

Louis knows that last bit was sort of a lie. It is true that when the videos come back they will be strong and refreshed but not with a “we.” He knows it probably shows in his face.

“We love you guys so much, and we are so grateful for all the support you guys have shown us. Kisses and hugs and all the love. See you guys on twitter.”

Louis tacks on a “love you guys” before turning off the camera.

“I’ll edit this and get it up.”

“I’ll help,” Harry says, getting up from his spot on the couch.

“Haz, you don’t know how to edit, you won’t really be helping me.”

“I don’t care, it might be late in the game to say this, but we’re partners, I want to do this together.”

Usually Louis would fight Harry on this, insisting that he could just do it faster alone, but with one look into his green eyes and he can’t refuse.

A few minutes later they are sitting side by side at their dining table, Louis importing the footage into his computer and Harry scrolling through his twitter.

“A lot of people think this is going to be a coming out video…like an alarming amount of people, Lou.”

“There’s going to be a lot of upset people then,” Louis replies.

“Just another way I’m disappointing people.” Harry sighs, locking his phone and resting his head on the table.

“Hazza, you need to stop beating yourself up about this, you’re only human, okay?”

Louis has started to massage Harry’s back with one hand, “If you’re going to make it, you have to be strong and know that you can’t please everyone.”

“I know, it just sucks.”

“I know, Haz.”

Harry takes a deep breath.

He sits up and looks at Louis, “Let’s do this.”

 

\----

 

A week later and Harry is still dealing with letting everyone down, but it’s gotten easier. He’s been too busy practicing and trying to choose a song to get caught up in the drama online.

Louis tells him he’s not missing much. Most people just think they genuinely need a break, while others speculate that the two of them are arguing, fighting or that they broke up.

Louis continues to tweet and Instagram like he usually does, making sure to keep fans happy.

He’s thought a lot about what he’s going to do if Harry gets a record deal, he’s decided that he wants to keep the channel going obviously, but he wants to expand it more to more than just singing and the occasional vlog. He wants to try new things and become a proper youtuber, not just a youtuber musician.

This week he’s had a lot of time to get used to the idea of Harry leaving. He still doesn’t like it and wishes that it wasn’t happening, but he understands that it is. There is absolutely no way that Harry wouldn’t get a deal, he is a total package, charming, cute, hot, funny, smart, tall, and an excellent singer.

Of course someone is going to snatch him up.

And Louis is okay with that. He is.

 

\----

 

The hardest thing, Harry thinks, is finding the right song. He’s gone through his entire iTunes library and spent hours online going through playlists trying to find something, but he can’t pick one.

It has to be _perfect_.

“Lou-ee, I can’t choose a song,” Harry complains, flopping onto the couch. “I need help.”

“I thought that you decided to do that James Bay song like two days ago?”

“I thought that was what I wanted to do, but I don’t know anymore, I feel like it doesn’t show off my entire vocal range.”

“Well I guess that you should do a song that represents who you want to be as an artist,” Louis offers.

“I know,” Harry says in a sigh.

“And who do you want to be, as an artist?” Louis asks, more for himself than for the sake of helping Harry pick a song.

“Well, indie I guess, but I think that people will want me to be more pop rock because that will sell better than some kid who is trying to be a hipster, I don’t know.”

“Harry are you doubting yourself?” Louis questions.

“No, it’s just that this is really important and I think that I am over thinking it.”

“Okay,” Louis replies, taking Harry’s hand into his own. “Then let’s find you a song.”

The next few hours are spent with the two of them sitting at the table with their laptops going through playlists on YouTube, discussing the merits and draw backs of each song.

When they get the options down to five songs they call Niall over so that he can hear Harry sing and help them choose.

In the end they pick another Ed Sheeran song, _Give Me Love_.

“Mate, this song is the one,” Niall had cheered after listening to Harry do a quick a capella version.

“I don’t think I even need to hear the other two,” he offered. “This song not only matches your voice, but your personality. The label will love it.”

“Yeah?” Harry asks unsure.

“Totally.”

So that was that. His song was chosen, he just had to learn the lyrics and get the arrangement down.

This is really happening.

 

\----

 

Over the next three days Harry does nothing but eat, sleep, go to class and sing.

Any chance there is to sing, he is singing. 

In the shower, cooking, basically any moment that he has that isn’t all consuming. Every once and a while Louis will tell him when his voice is extra strong. This small act of encouragement has kept him sane throughout this process. Without Louis, he would be a catatonic ball of anxiety lying on the ground in the fetal position.

It makes Harry realize how codependent he is on Louis. Like a scary amount.

Currently, Harry is seated on the couch with one of his music theory books on his lap trying to get some reading done, while Louis is lying on the floor watching reruns of Friends.

Harry looks down at the older boy. He’s in a pair of black joggers and a grey t-shirt. His hair is soft – just like Harry likes, because it means that he can play with it.

Something funny must happen because suddenly Louis is laughing.

And all it takes is Harry looking at Louis, smiling so big that there are crinkles by his eyes, and he knows something’s changed.

 _You’re so beautiful._ Harry thinks, almost blurting it out loud.

“Lou?” Harry says quietly, his voice rising like he’s asking a question.

“Yea?”

“I…you’re…I’m just so lucky that I have you,” Harry mumbles, trying to express his feelings without knowing what words to use.

“Harry, we’re lucky to have each other.”

“I know,” the green eyed boy says. “It just felt really important for me to say it right now, I don’t know why.”

“Okay,” Louis says, lying his head back down on the floor.

Harry looks at Louis again now that he isn’t paying attention to Harry. _I wonder what your lips feel like._ Harry thinks. And yeah – it’s time to get out of here. He must be sleep deprived because he should not be thinking things like that.

He and Louis are friends, the stress and sleep deprivation is finally catching up with him.

He gets up, says goodnight to Lou, and goes to his room, falling asleep as soon as his head hits his pillow.

 

\----

 

Harry’s audition is in three days and Louis is freaking out. Like proper freaking out.

This morning, after Harry went to class, Louis was in the middle of trying to make some toast when it hit him.

Three days. That’s how long he has with Harry just as his. Before anything changes. His heart starts to race and he needs to sit down.

Sitting down doesn’t help, so he grabs his keys, puts on a pair of shoes and goes for a walk.

 _This is okay._ He thinks. _Harry and I have talked about this, we’re still the best of friends, and nothing could change that. I’m just being stupid. I need someone to talk to. Liam will tell me how stupid I’m being._

So he goes to Liam’s.

Liam is a friend he made when they first moved to London. Louis was bored while Harry was in class so he went to the park and joined a random game of footie where he later met Liam.

The two of them are really good friends, and that is exactly what Louis needs right now, someone to talk to who isn’t Harry.

He sends Liam a text to tell him that he is on his way.

Once he gets there Liam buzzes him into the building, Louis then walks up the 2 flights of stairs to Liam’s floor, and when he gets there the door is open, so he places a quick knock on the door and then walks in. He and Liam are very comfortable together and are very open with each other despite only meeting a few months ago.

“Hey Lou,” Louis hears Liam say from his spot on his couch.

“Hey Li,” Louis calls back, giving a small wave. “What’s up?”

“Not much here, just got back from the gym, what about you?”

“Oh…” Louis doesn’t know how to answer the question, he wants to just talk about Harry, but that might seem weird to just start off with that when he hasn’t even sat down yet. “Umm…” he stretches out, trying to buy time.

“Oh, so it’s one of those conversations then?” Liam asks.

“Well, umm,” Louis doesn’t know what to answer, of course he wants to admit that, but he’s a bit embarrassed to.

Liam turns off his TV and turns into Louis. “Mate, you know you can talk to me about anything, that’s what friends are for.”

“Yeah, I know.” Louis says in an exasperated whisper.

“And if you’re coming to me then I know that this is something that you can’t talk to Harry about.”

Liam knows him so freaking well. Though he hasn’t met Harry yet, Liam knows about everything about the two of them, just from how much Louis talks about him.

“You know me so well Liam, it’s scary.”

“I know, I guess it’s just natural for me, now what is it?”

“I…don’t…know,” Louis draws out. “I thought that everything was alright, but today something changed for me. I was making breakfast and listening to music when _something_ inside me changed.”

“Yeah? What did it feel like?” Liam questions, playing with the rip in his jeans.

“Like I was breaking apart from the inside out, like I was going to crumble into pieces,” Louis says looking pained.

“And what were you thinking about when you were having these thoughts?”

“About…about,” Louis pauses and looks away. “Harry…and how bloody in love with him I am…. Holy fucking shit, I just said that out loud.”

“Wow, I thought you would never admit that,” Liam says with a sly smile.

“Shut up Liam,” Louis says. Then after a pause he adds quietly, “What do you mean by that?”

“Well, first of all I’m not blind, I’ve watched your videos, I think it’s clear why so many people ship you and second I know you, I’ve seen you talk about him, I’ve seen you on the phone. The times when you came here directly after hanging out with Harry, you’re a bloody sap, so in love with him.”

“Yeah, but why didn’t you think that I would admit it?” Louis questions, knowing deep down that he can’t argue with being obvious around Harry.

“Because you told me you were gay like 2 hours after meeting me, so I knew that you were very open about who you were, at least in your private life, and I watched you suffer. Whether you realize that you were or not, not having Harry in that way killed you. I thought that you were just going to keep denying your feelings because you didn’t want to lose him. But now with the probability of Harry getting a record deal and leaving, you can’t deny it anymore. Admitting you’re in love with him is the way that you will get to keep him. ”

Louis thinks about that.

And that – _that’s true_.

He knows that he views Harry in a more than friendship type of way, he can’t deny that. He knows that every song, every thought, every image he sees of Harry is of them together, of them holding hands, kissing, touching every inch of each other’s bodies, of them saying “I love you,” and making love to cement their love.

It’s all been right in front of him.

Louis drops his head into his hands and rubs his face.

“I thought it was just a small best friend crush, you know, like everyone has with their best friends.”

“Oh, Lou,” Liam moves over to be closer to Louis and starts lightly massaging his back.

“What am I going to do, Li. I can’t just tell him.”

“Why not babe?”

“Because we’ve talked about this before, we’ve settled this. I said that I didn’t think of him that way and he said the same about me. Now that he’s leaving, he’ll think I’m just trying to keep him from this opportunity. That I’m being selfish and I just want along for the ride.”

“Lou, do you really think that Harry would think that about you? I don’t even actually know Harry, but I know that he wouldn’t seeyou like that.”

“I know, but I still think this would be an odd time for a love confession.”

“Maybe after his audition, when you know where things are going you should talk to him.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

“Lou, you can’t keep this bottled up, you have to tell him. This isn’t a secret that you can keep.”

“I know, but he’s told me that he doesn’t think of me that way. What am I supposed to do with that?”

“Louis, remember when I said that I’m not blind, well I’ve seen the way that Harry looks at you and acts around you, and I think that he feels the same way about you.”

“You really think so?” Louis asks Liam sitting up fully again and turning into the other man’s body.

Liam grabs Louis’ face into his hands and says, “I would bet my life on it.”

 

After a good long conversation with Liam, Louis is headed home.

The only thing that the conversation did for Louis though was convince him of his own feelings, he isn’t sure what Harry thinks of him, or if he plans to confess his love.

He has two days now, two days until he finds out what will happen with Harry, he’s going to take those two days and make them count.

 

\----

 

“Honey, you’re home!” is what Louis is greeted with upon arriving back at their place. Harry rushes out of the kitchen and pulls Louis into a hug, still in his apron. His hair is tied up in a half updo, probably meant to keep hair out of the food, but to Louis it is the sexiest thing.

“Yeah, I just went to Liam’s,” he says into Harry’s shoulder. “Jesus, I didn’t go to war, there is no need to hug me that tight.”

“Just missed you is all.” Harry states, pulling away. “Did you guys eat? I’m cooking if you didn’t.”

“No we didn’t eat,” Louis says with a smile, unable to it hold back. “It smells good, what is it?”

“Tacos.” Harry says.

“Yummm,” Louis exclaims.

“They should be ready in like 15 minutes, so if you want to go freshen up, I’ll call you when they are ready.”

“Yeah, that is an excellent idea,” Louis says taking a step back. He takes a minute to really look at Harry, noticing every feature every blemish, every inch of what is Harry. And suddenly he has an idea.

He walks to his room where he removes his jumper and puts on a clean black t shirt and a pair of fresh joggers.

He grabs his laptop and sits on his bed. Once his laptop boots up, he goes straight to Tumblr. Taking a deep breath he moves his cursor to the search bar and types in, **Larry Stylinson Proof.**

He closes the lid of the laptop halfway while waiting for the results to load up. It’s not that he hasn’t been on Tumblr before, it’s just that he’s never looked at it with the intent to find “Larry” proof or with the intent to want to see more in Harry and his actions then what he assumes is there.

It’s a bit scary.

He reopens the laptop fully and looks at the screen. The first few results aren’t bad, just some random comments about how their last music video _had_ to be about them and about how similar the two of them are, people saying that they are twin souls, which is a bit intense.

And then he stumbles upon a post titled **THE ULTIMATE HARRY/LOUIS PROOF MASTERPOST: Alternatively know as these two are fucking married**

Just as he clicks on the read more to view the entire post, Harry calls him for dinner. So he closes his laptop with the page open, deciding that he will look at it after he eats.

It’s on his mind the entire time that he is eating. He spends the conversation talking to Harry about random stuff and wondering what “proof” there is that would make people think they are _married_. Or maybe that’s just an expression.

Ever since they started making vlogs, the amount of people shipping them increased. By that time Louis and Harry no longer minded it, it was just part of their brand. Louis always saw it, but never dived into the tumblr’s and videos. Now that he thinks about it, that was probably a self-preserving move. If he had looked into it, he would have had to admit his feelings, so maybe he really has known all along.

 “How was it?” Harry asks, looking excitedly at Louis who has become distant, there is just too much on his mind.

“Amazing Haz, as with everything you cook.”

“You know what they always say - that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”

“Ha ha,” Louis says, his heart starting to beat faster. “Trying to get to my heart, then?”

“Always,” Harry jokes, squinting his eyes and looking down at his hands. “I’ll always be after your heart Lou, always.”

Louis grabs Harry’s hand, knowing that this is a special moment. This is their last goodbye, their moment. Louis moves Harry’s hand to his heart.

“You’re already in there, Haz. No need to try and get to it.”

Harry smiles, looking deeply into Louis’ eyes.

“Good to know. You’re in my heart, too. Ever since I met you, I knew you were special. That you were more than a temporary friend. I knew you were going to be with me for the rest of my life.”

Louis moves Harry’s hand away from his heart and kisses the top of Harry’s hand.

“I love you,” he says. “You’re my best friend, Haz, forever and ever and ever. You’re never leaving me, even when we’re old and have gone our ways in life, we’ll always be in each other’s lives, I just know that.”

“Lou, you’re going to make me cry. That was beautiful, and I love you, too. And you’re right we will always be together, we’ll always be ‘the dream team.’” Harry says, putting air quotes around the phrase dream team, their mother’s name for them, the name that has been adopted by their viewers for them.

“Dream team, yeah. Our mums are very smart.”

“Very, very smart.” Harry agrees.

 

\----

 

Louis is in deep.

He’s read the theories, seen the explicit fan art, read a short fan fiction (and wanked to the thought later). He’s about to read the masterpost that he originally pulled up, he avoided it because it seems to be the most popular reference point for the fandom. It’s his final jump. He’s already fully in, loving all the Larry blogs and all the Larry content they make.

He pulls open the window with post, takes a deep breath and scrolls.

Louis releases the breath he must have been holding while reading that post, because, _yeah_.

So much of what it says is true or means something to him.

 _Could_ Harry see Louis like he now knows that he sees Harry? _Could_ they be meant for more like so many people believe they are?

Louis sure hope so.

But for right now he’s content scrolling through, **“Haz and Lou’s Cutest Moments”** smiling like a fool and trying to not fall asleep.

 

\----

 

Today is the day. The day that will define a life time.

Audition day.

Harry wakes up around four a.m., too nervous to sleep any longer and goes to Louis’s room. He crawls into bed with the other boy, wrapping his arm around his middle and pulling him closer, while also scooting his own body to match Louis’.

He buries his face in the Louis’ neck smelling the sweet smell of their shampoo.

“Morning,” Louis croaks, turning into Harry. “What time is it?”

“A little after four a.m.” Harry admits, moving his hand into Louis’s on top of the duvet.

“Couldn’t sleep then?”

“No, too nervous.”

Louis squeezes Harry’s hand, “no reason to be.”

“Yeah right,” Harry says, voice cracking.

“Sleep,” Louis commands the younger boy, moving his thumb in circular motions on Harry’s hand.

Harry presses a light kiss to the back of Louis’s neck and whispers, “you’re too good to me,” in Louis’ ear before falling back asleep, nerves calmed.

 

\----

 

After Harry fell back asleep, Louis desperately tried to as well, but he couldn’t. He just continued to endlessly draw circles on Harry’s hand while listening to his breathing.

When the clock hit seven, Louis figured that it was acceptable to get up and start doing stuff. Anything to keep himself from going crazy.

He knows that Harry will be getting up at eight so that he has two whole hours to get ready for today and to have one last practice.  So until then, he plops down on the couch and turns the telly on, missing  being wrapped up in Harry’s arms and feeling Harry’s breath on his neck.

He must have dozed off because the next thing he knows Harry is sitting down beside him, waking him up, the clock says it’s only 7:30.

“Morning,” Louis says, breaking their silence.

“I woke up and you weren’t in bed,” Harry says, his voice extra deep from sleep. “I thought you’d left me.”

“That’s silly,” Louis laughs, turning to look at Harry who looks serious. “Oh, babe you know I’d never leave you.”

“I know,” Harry says, “I’m just being weird. This day is messing with my head.”

“How so?” Louis ponders, looking deeply into the pair of green eyes besides him.

“I don’t know, just feel off.”

“Well, we can’t have you feeling off today can we?”

“No, I guess not.” Harry agrees.

“I’m going to make us some tea,” Louis says, jumping up from the couch and heading for the kitchen.

“You don’t have to do that.”

“Yes, I do,” Louis calls from the kitchen. “It’s the most important day of my best mates life, it is my duty to make sure that you are feeling 110 percent prepared and confident.”

 “Oh Lou,” Harry says walking into the kitchen, hugging Harry from behind, “you are too good to me.”

Louis just laughs in response.

 

\----

 

The two hours that Harry set aside for getting ready fly by. The time is spent showering, getting dressed, styling hair, and one last practice for Louis that is flawless.

 _He has this_ , Louis thinks. And that’s okay.

As soon as Harry has left Louis grabs his phone and starts drafting a tweet.

He spends a good 20 minutes deciding what he wants to say, when he remembers their conversation from two days ago and realizes that it is perfect for this moment.

He knows that once Harry sees it he will remember the conversation they had about being in each other’s hearts, it will be a nice reminder for him that no matter the outcome of today, they are okay.

He puts his phone down and forces himself to do something productive to pass the time before he dies of nerves.

 

\----

 

“Hi, I’m Harry Styles, I have an audition today.” Harry says nervously to the receptionist, a petite blonde woman. He has his guitar slung around his shoulder and is holding it tightly, trying to not appear nervous.

“Okay, let me look at the schedule and I will get you checked in.”

She does some typing on her computer and then says to Harry, “Wow, you’ve got an audition with all the big dogs, you must be impressive and important.” She doesn’t give Harry a chance to respond before she is picking up the phone and dialing a number.

“Greg, your star is here,” she says into the phone, throwing Harry a smile. “Yep, Harry is here for you. I’ll send him up.”

“He remembered your name,” she comments in a serious tone after she has hung up the phone. “That’s big, he only remembers people’s names if they are A-listers that have made him millions, he can’t even remember the 3 receptionist’s names sometimes.”

Harry takes a deep breath, suddenly 100 times more nervous than he was before.

“Okay, so you’re going to head up to level 5, that’s where our main audition spot is, and go left to room 554, that’s where Mr. Smith and his colleagues are waiting for you. Good luck, not that you need it, I can tell they love you.”

“Thank you,” is all Harry can get out before he is heading for the elevator.

He presses the up button and waits for the door to open. Once it does open he get in and reaches for the 5 button, realizing that his hand is shaking.

“Breathe,” he hears the blonde woman call out to him. And as the door closes, he does just that.

The journey to the fifth floor feels like 3 seconds and 3 hours at the same time.

Harry isn’t the type to get normally nervous, but he also usually has Louis at his side whenever he is in a situation where he might get nervous. Louis keeps him calm.

When the elevator opens the first thing he notices is the extra-large piece of modern art hanging on the wall in front of him, it is full of greens, blues, and greys. He can’t make out what it is, but notes that the colors in the art match the colors in the décor of the rest of the hallway. The grey matches the walls and the blues match the furniture, while the greens come out in the plants that are placed around the corners.

He turns left, like the lady told him to, noticing that the plates by the doors that say the room number also say what each room is, so on the way to the room he needs to be in, he passes a few offices, meeting rooms, and even a recording studio.

 _I am in way over my head_ , Harry thinks. _I am not meant to be here_. _I’m just a teenager who makes videos on the internet._

When he approaches room 554 he hears the voices of at least 3 men and a woman.

 _What do I do?_ He panics. _Do I just go in, or knock and wait, or knock and then go in without waiting? I need Louis._ He takes a deep breath and shakes his hair out, psyching himself up. “No, I don’t,” he says meekly out loud. _I can do this._

He knocks on the door, holding the strap of his guitar tightly. He hears one of the men say, “ah, he’s here,” and then someone is opening the door for him. He walks in and offers a weak smile.

The man offers his hand out to Harry, “Hi, I’m Evan, I believe we spoke on the phone, I’m one of Smith Records booking agents, nice to meet you.”

Harry replies by extending his hand to meet the other man’s, smiles and offers a charming thank you, feeling a little less nervous.

Once he gets a look at the room tough, he is nervous all over again. There are a lot more people here then he imagined there would be, a quick guess tells him that there must be at least 20 people in the room.

He looks back at Evan, “As you can tell, Smith Records is very interested in you, normally you would just meet with me and a potential manager, but as soon as I found you, Mr. Smith was very interested, that rarely happens, so, not promising anything, but you’ll probably end today already having a contract.”

“Wow,” Harry whispers, not being able to come up with anything else to say. This is all very overwhelming and he’s just glad that no one is paying attention to him anymore, all too busy on phones, iPad’s and laptops to notice him.

“Mr. Smith will want to get to know you a little first, to test you out and see how well you do under pressure, then he’ll want to hear you sing of course, but from what I’ve seen in your videos, you’ll be just fine.”

“Yeah, of course,” Harry chokes out, all of a sudden wanting Louis, a feeling he keeps trying to get rid of, but just won’t go away.

“Come on then, let’s go meet the man himself.”

Evan turns away from Harry and starts walking to where Mr. Smith is sat, carefully watching Harry, who starts following Evan a minute too late.

“Greg,” Evan starts, turning to find where Harry is standing, seeing him still walking over. “This is Harry Styles.”

“In the flesh,” Mr. Smith laughs, he stands and shakes Harry’s hand, “nice to finally meet you in person, Mr. Styles we are all very excited for today, I think some amazing things are going to happen,” he says with a wink, shaking Harry’s hand the entire time.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, too. This is all very amazing, I had no idea this would be this big of a deal.”

“Harry, never doubt yourself,” Mr. Smith says seriously. “Let’s get this started then, don’t want to waste time, everyone here is very excited to see you in action, Evan here has assured us that you are amazing, both performing and just entertaining.”

Harry can’t think of a response so he just mutters a quick thank you, not being able to shake the feeling that Louis is meant to be here.

Before he realizes what is happening, he is being guided by Evan to the small stage at the front of the room. He is seated on the stool that is in the middle of the stage. Evan then walks away from him without a word, returning to a seat among everyone else.

He puts his guitar case next to him and sits up straight. He turns on the charm after Evan gives him a thumbs up.

Evan then stands up and claps, bringing everyone’s attention to him.

“Okay, everyone, as you probably know I’m Evan, I am a talent scout here at Smith Records, and a while ago, I happened upon this beauty right here,” he says pointing at Harry. “I knew that I had found something special in him, so I went right to Mr. Smith, a risky move as you all know, but after seeing Harry, Mr. Smith agreed with me and decided that he had to make him a star, hence why you all are here right now. I don’t think he really needs an introduction, he will sweep you all off your feet and make you glad that you were invited to this meeting. So here he is, Harry Styles, 18 and ready to amaze you.”

 _It wasn’t just me you saw_ , Harry repeats over and over in his head. _Louis was on every song, in every video. Why didn’t you want him, too?_ He doesn’t remember anything Evan has said, too busy in his own thoughts.

“Hello everyone, I’m Harry,” he says with an awkward wave.

“Okay, I think we’ll open the floor for a q&a before we hear him play,” Evan says in his seat, “I’ll start off the questions, Harry what motivates you to be a musician?”

“Well, thank you for the question,” Harry says, drawing out his response, “I think for us…” he starts before correcting himself, “I think for me...it’s just my passion…I can sing for hours…it makes me so happy…and I think music brings people together…like it did for…well, it’s just always been a part of me and I love it so much, so I think just my love for it, yeah.”

“Wonderful Harry, now if anyone else wants to ask some questions go for it,” Evan calls.

“At what age did you know that you wanted to be a singer?” a man with dark grey hair and tired eyes asks him.

“I’ve known since I was little that singing was what I loved, but when I became a teenager I was sure that this is what I wanted to do forever. When Louis told me that he wanted to start a YouTube channel, I just agreed because singing is all I’ve ever wanted to do, and now I am which makes me very happy.”

He assumes that everyone has been briefed on who Louis is, because none of them ask him who he is.

“Any other questions?”

“Yeah, Harry,” he hears Mr. Smith say, “How has your YouTube career influenced you? And how do you see YouTube in your future?”

“Well, I got my start on YouTube, so I could never totally abandon it, but I want to be a serious artist, which means that I have to fully commit to my music, so I think that I would continue to use it as a platform to bring my fans from YouTube to being fans of my new brand.” Harry hopes that is the right answer. He isn’t sure what they want to hear, hoped that they would just tell him how what to do concerning YouTube so that he didn’t have to make those choices and be the one to upset his viewers.

“Yes, that seems fair, but now how do feel about your associations with Louis Tomlinson, your partner online, you’ve mentioned him earlier.”

This seems like a test, he isn’t sure why and something feels wrong.

“Well he’s my best mate,” he begins, pausing to gather what information he can from Mr. Smith’s face. “And is the reason why I even have this opportunity in the first place, we will always be best friends of course.”

“Yes, but how do you see you two presenting your relationship to the public?” Mr. Smith interrupts him.

“Well, we’re very close, I want people to know that we are still friends even if we aren’t a duet anymore.”

Harry is starting to get nervous. Mr. Smith is very scary and Harry feels like he isn’t answering the question correctly.

“Harry, I’m going to say something that you probably don’t want to hear right now, but I want you to remember that I have been in this industry a long time and I know what I’m doing, okay?”

“Okay, yeah.”

“Tension and drama sells, if we can spin this to look like the two of you are fighting, and make Louis look like the bad guy, your sales could skyrocket.”

_What?_

“It would increase interest for your YouTube fans who would constantly be watching, it would bring new fans in, fans in it for the drama, it would stop the ‘shipping’ of the two of you and with that we could drive up speculation with girls, famous girls, girls with lots of fans, fans who will love you.”

“But, but why would you do that? Why would you do that to Louis? That isn’t right or fair.”

“Harry, in this business you never worry about what is right or fair, you worry about what sells, and this is what sells, okay.”

“But Louis is my best friend, this just isn’t right.”

“Harry, I, going to be honest here and say that Louis can’t sing, he doesn’t have the personality to be a star and is so noticeably gay that he could never be successful in his demographic, I know you don’t want to hear that, but I’m sorry. There is a reason that you’re here and not him. There is a reason why I have my own record company, I know what I’m doing.”

“What the hell, first of all I’m sorry but Louis can sing and is an amazing singer, I don’t know how tone deaf you have to be to not see that. And secondly there is nothing wrong with being gay, we managed to get fans despite being who we are or how we present.”

Harry is fuming, how dare someone say those kinds of things about Louis, how dare he suggest that being gay is a bad thing.

 _What the hell is wrong with me, why aren’t I leaving?_ Harry thinks.

“I’m sorry I need to leave,” he says standing up.

“No, Harry, sit down we can talk about this at a later time. I shouldn’t have brought it up, we can discuss this at a later time.”

Harry sits back down. He isn’t sure why but he does it anyway.

“We still want to watch you perform, we can discuss details later.”

“If I’m going to do this,” Harry starts, “I will not ‘fight’ with Louis I just want to make that clear.”

“Details,” Mr. Smith says in a tone that suggest that Harry will never get what he wants.

“Okay, the stage is yours, wow us.”

“Yeah, alright.”

Harry gets his guitar case and opens it up, he pulls it out and winces at the “Congrats on 1 million Subs” sticker that he got from YouTube.

_I can’t do this._

But he does anyways. He hoists himself up on the stool on the stage and starts strumming on his guitar. After he figures that the guitar is tuned he stops and says, “I’m going to be singing _Give Me Love_ by Ed Sheeran.”

“Okay, take us away.”

He starts playing the intro part of the song. He misses a few notes and stops abruptly. “Sorry, I need to start over, I’m too much in my head.”

He starts over, but the thoughts don’t go away. _Louis is meant to be here he is meant to be singing with me. Be right beside me. I need him._ The feeling of needing Louis doesn’t go away, but it turns into desperation, he doesn’t just want Louis to be here as a security blanket. He needs him to be here, more than he needs anything in the world. He could never do this without his Louis.

Louis isn’t just his friend that he does videos with, he is his best friend his companion, his love.

 _My love._ Harry repeats again and again in his head. _I love him, like_ that.

And with that thought Harry needs to get out of this room that he has been stuck in, he need air, he need Louis, needs to kiss Louis needs to feel every inch of his body.

Needs it more than he needs air.

It happens again. He misses some notes and has to start again.

“I’m sorry.” He says, noticing that people have begun shifting uncomfortably in their seats.

He starts again. He strums his guitar, forcing himself to think about nothing but what he is meant to be singing. The lyrics, “Love Me” repeat over and over in his mind.

“Love me,” Harry says out loud, having stopped playing his guitar. “Love him.” He whispers.

“Harry, what’s wrong, play the song,” he hears a voice say, but he doesn’t know who’s saying it.

“I can’t,” he says shaking his head.

“Why not.”

“Louis.” Is all he manages to get out.

“Harry, we already went over that,” he recognizes as Mr. Smith’s voice.

“No, that’s not what I mean,” he rushes out, sliding off the stool to put his guitar away.

“Well what do you mean?” Mr. Smith says when he doesn’t answer.

“I mean that I’m in fucking love with him. And I can’t sing without him. I just can’t.”

Harry thinks. _How am I so blind? How did I not realize. Those blue eyes and tan skin and his loud laugh. And when he sings and looks at me. I’m fucking gone for him._

When he finally notices where he is he realizes that he is at the door.

“Thank you for the opportunity, but no thank you. Louis and I come together. I just can’t…”

“Harry, this is not what I expected to happen today, you’ve turned out to be such a disappointment. You and Louis will not be welcome back at Smith Records.”

“I don’t need Smith records, all I need is my boy,” He says opening the door and walking out, hearing Mr. Smith say something back to him. He ignores it.

“Fuck that felt good.” He says out loud. “Now I just have to go get my boy.”

He rushes out of the building, and doesn’t look back.

 

\----

 

Louis is in the living room watching Family Guy when he hears his phone ring.

The ring snaps him out of the trance that he has been in where he has just been staring at the wall not actually paying attention to anything.

Harry’s name is on the caller id, so he answers it.

“Harry?” that is all he is able to get out before Harry is talking over him.

“Louis come to the park,” is all he hears. Something is wrong.

“Harry what’s wrong,” he says scared.

“Nothing, just come to the park please. Just please come I’ll explain when you get here, okay.”

“Okay, I trust you Harry. I’ll be right there.”

He hangs up the phone and ships a pair of vans on and a grey sweater of Harry’s that is in the living room. He puts his phone in his pocket, grabs his key and leaves the flat for the park.

He has no idea why Harry is calling him to the park and didn’t just come home, but it’s Harry, there has to be some reason.

The park is only a few minutes away, but he walks faster than usual so he makes it there in half the time.

He sees Harry standing under a tree that is secluded from the rest of the park, he is looking for Louis, but hasn’t spotted him yet. Louis takes a deep breath and walks over to Harry.

“Louis,” Harry whispers once Louis is in ear shot of him.

“Harry what’s wrong,” Louis says, grabbing Harry into a hug. “You don’t look so good.”

“I’m fine,” Harry says, in a voice that tells Louis that he isn’t fine.

“How did your audition go, I figured it would have taken longer.”

“Yeah, about that,” Harry says nervously.  “I walked out.”

“Harry!” Louis says, stunned not knowing whether to be happy or sad. “Why?”

“They were saying these awful things and I, I just couldn’t, I couldn’t sing without you, Louis I need you.”

“Harry what were they saying?” Louis says, trying to read the look that Harry is giving him.

“These awful, awful things about how you couldn’t sing, and how people hated gay people and that you would never be successful in your target demographic and how they wanted us to make it look like we were feuding to the public in order to sell more stuff, it was horrible. I’m horrible.”

 “Harry, no.” Louis says, a little upset at what he just heard, but more upset at the fact that Harry is upset.

“That’s not even the worst part of it though,” Harry says through tears.

“Yeah?” Louis questions.

“The worst part is that I didn’t walk out after hearing about that, I stayed and was still going to play them music. I’m such a shit person. What was I thinking? You must hate me.”

 “Harry, calm down, I could never hate you.”

They are silent for a few minutes, just looking at each other and comforting each other. They are still standing under the tree face to face, their bodies close.

“Well, it’s good that you don’t hate me then because I have something to say,” Harry says on a deep breath.

Louis looks into the green eyes across from him, and sees the pain and fear in them. But he also sees the tenderness and kindness in them.

He has the urge to reach out and wipe the tears away from Harry’s eyes, he stops himself though.

“The main reason that I walked out wasn’t because of what they said, though it is definitely a part of it, is because when I started to play I realized something.”

Harry grabs Louis waist and pulls them close together. He runs his hand across Louis’s cheek and says through a choked sob, “You’re so beautiful.” His hand wanders away from Louis cheek and to his lips, he runs the tips of this first two fingers across his lips and starts leaning down.

Louis notices what is happening and angles his head up so that their lips align perfectly.

“I’m in love with you,” Harry says pausing his head right above Louis’.

Louis takes a deep breath in. “And I can’t see myself anywhere but at your side, if you’ll have me.”

Louis has no idea what to say, so instead he grabs the back of Harry’s neck and pushes their lips together. Harry falls right into it, and tightens his hold on Louis’s middle. Their bodies just click, they move together, fast and desperate.

Harry licks into Louis’s lips, opening them up. Soon they are licking into each other’s mouths, grabbing each other all over.  The warmth of Harry’s lips sent currents of electricity through his body, every part of him felt electrified.

“Harry,” Louis moans, tangling his fingers into Harry’s soft brown curly locks.

They break apart their lips for air, but their bodies remain tangled together.

Harry’s eyes look desperately into Louis’s causing the older boy to laugh.

“Harry Edward Styles, I have been in love with you since before I knew what that meant,” he begins, pausing to give Harry a quick peck on the lips. “And I when the possibility of you leaving became something that could happen, all these feelings flooded out that made me question everything. But in the end I realized that you were what was most important to me and that I wanted you to be mine.”

This time Harry leans down and gives Louis a peck on the lips.

“Harry, I love you, so so much. I don’t ever want to let you go,” Louis says thinking for the first time about what they must look like to the other people at the park.

“Today when I was meant to sing, I couldn’t stop thinking about you, about how you are such a big part of me, how I’m meant to have you right beside me through everything. I think I realized sitting in that room, when I couldn’t sing without you that I was in love with you. I realized that it wasn’t just because I am used to singing with you, it was because it feels wrong to sing about love, if I’m not singing to the person that I am in love with, you.”

“ _Harry_.”

Louis is screaming internally unable to believe that any of this is happening, he has his beautiful, beautiful boy telling him that he feels the same way about him.

“Why here?” Louis asks.

“I couldn’t do this at home,” Harry says, hands trailing down from Louis’s waist. “I had to do it somewhere neutral in case you said that you didn’t feel the same I couldn’t bring that into our home. Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course, love.”

“When did you realize?”

“I don’t know, I think that I’ve always know. I’ve always ‘looked’ at you. You know? But I told myself that we didn’t think of each other that way. But when I talked to Liam he said that could tell that I had been forcing myself to think that way, and that I actually loved you. I know for me the day you told me about the audition was the first time I thought it though.”

Louis has his hands tucked into Harry’s back pockets and Harry has his hands resting on Louis’s shoulders.

“Yeah, I think that’s the same for me,” he says, but right now that isn’t important. Right now I just want to take you home and snog you, okay?”

“I’d like that, yeah,” Louis says, leaning up to get a kiss. Harry leans into and their innocent little peck turns into full on making out in the middle of the park.

“Harry, we have to go home.”

“Yeah, okay,” he says, voice flustered. They stop making out and link their fingers together.

The walk home feels long and painful. They are desperate to get their hands on each other, just needing to touch.

Once they are at the entrance to the flat, Louis loosens his hand from Harry’s and unlocks the door. As soon as the door is closed behind them, their bodies are crashing together.

Their lips find each other last, and soon they are pressed into each other, their entire bodies are connected.

Harry reaches down and squeezes Louis’s arse, he deep breath in, already feeling his dick get hard.

Louis wraps his finger tightly in Harry’s hair and tugs a little, causing the younger boy to let out a small moan.

“We need to…talk about this…about us,” Harry stutters out during their breaths.

“We will…just…need you first,” Louis replies palming at Harry’s dick.

“ _Jesus”_ Harry trembles. “You can’t say shit like that.” He reapplies pressure to Louis’s bum and rolls their hips together.

“ _Harry,”_ Louis moans. “Need you right now.”

“What do you want?”

“Your mouth.”

“I can do that,” Harry says, sinking to his knees in front of Louis. He pulls Louis’s sweats and boxers down in one swift motion.

 “So eager, love.” Harry says once he gets a look at how hard Louis’s dick is.

“Can’t help it, you make me crazy,” he says through a half sob, as Harry takes him in hand, slowly working his cock.

“Haz, fuck that feels” he says before he is interrupted by Harry’s mouth on him enveloping him in hot wet heat, licking at his slit. He then feels Harry take the head in his mouth, tongue swirling around it, making Louis see stars, “fucking amazing,” he sobs, knees buckling. He fights thrusting up, and allows Harry to take control. He looks down at Harry and the sight of his reddened and puffed lips is enough to nearly make him come.

“Get up here and kiss me,” Louis demands through a groan as Harry swallows around him.

Harry slides Louis’s dick out of his mouth and stands up, grabbing Louis and putting their lips together. Louis licks into his mouth wanting to taste himself.

“Your lips are my favorite thing,” Louis whispers between kisses. “Especially all puffed out from sucking my dick.”

“I love you,” Harry says, looking at Louis like he is the sun.

Harry sinks to his knees again but Louis pulls him up before anything happens.

“Don’t want to come that way, want you inside, but first want you to fuck my mouth.”

“Lou,” Harry gasps, standing up. “Have I told you how much I love you?”

“Yes, but also you’re only saying that because I’m going to suck your dick.”

“Maybe,” Harry says through a laugh. “Still true though.”

Louis gets down on his knees and unzips Harry’s impossibly tight jeans. He pushes them down around Harry’s ankles.

“You’re so big, gonna feel so good filling me up,” he inhales, before going down on Harry.

“Fuck me,” Harry groans. “Your mouth feels so good, so fucking amazing Lou.”

Louis uses his hand and jerks off the part of Harry’s dick that his mouth isn’t reaching. He swirls his tongue around Harry’s head a few times before he lifts off.

“Fuck my mouth,” Louis orders.

He grabs Harry’s bum and pushes a little encourages him to thrust.

“Louis, fuck,” Harry says jerking his hips into Louis’s mouth, putting his fingers into his hair, guiding his mouth.

Tears pool at the side of Louis eyes, but he loves it, loves making Harry feel good, loves tasting Harry.

“Fuck I’m gonna come if we don’t stop,” Harry pants, pulling Louis off of him.

Louis lets out a little moan at losing Harry’s dick. But stands up and grabs the back of Harry’s head.

“Bedroom, now, need you inside.”

“Fuck, yours or mine,” Harry asks.

“Yours,” Louis decides, mostly because he prefers Harry’s room and wants to be surrounded in Harry’s smell as he’s fucked into the mattress.

“Okay,” Harry says, grabbing Louis’s hand and leading them quickly to his room.

Once they get into the room, Louis lies down on the bed and pulls Harry down on top of him.

They snog slowly for a few minutes because they have time and want this to last.

Harry pulls away first, “Louis if I don’t get inside you soon, I’m going to die,” he confesses.

“Get the stuff, then,” Louis demands, “my cute little bum will be right here waiting.”

Harry lifts his body up and twists his torso to be able to reach the bedside table, he grabs out his bottle of lube and a condom.

“All set,” He says, trailing his body down so that his face is at the same level as Louis’s arse.

He flips Louis over so that he has better access, Harry on his knees propped up around Louis’s legs.

He grabs Louis’s arse in his hands, “I’m such an ass man,” he admits. “I’m always day dreaming about this bum,” he says, kneading the skin of Louis’s bum.

 “It’s all yours,” Louis says. “Now hurry up and prep me, I need your cock.”

Louis hears the lube bottle open and Harry coating up his fingers. Soon his arse is being opened and Harry is swirling his finger around his hole, lubing him up.

“Fuck Harry.”

He hears Harry getting more lube and then he feels a finger push inside of him.

Louis lets out a small moan of discomfort before getting used to the feeling.

“Good?” Harry asks, stopping his finger.

“Yeah, it’s been a while that’s all,” Louis answers, “Keep going.”

After a few strokes of Harry’s finger he is used to one finger and desperate for more.

 “I’m ready for another,” he shudders out.

He feels Harry pull out and get more lube before there is another finger stretching him open.

“God, Harry, your fingers are so fucking good, making me feel amazing,” he says into the mattress. After a minute of Harry fingering him, he starts to scissor Louis open.

“Harry,” Louis shouts when Harry angles his fingers and brushes over his prostate. “Fuck.”

“You like that baby?” Harry asks brushing his finger over the spot again.

“Yes, yes, yes,” Louis moans arching his hips up trying to get more of Harry’s fingers. Soon Harry is adding a third finger, stretching him wide open.

“ ‘m ready, want your cock,” Louis breaths out after a few minutes with three fingers.

 “Are you sure baby, don’t want to hurt you.”

“Yes, yes, I’m sure,” Louis says. “Just go slow.”

“Turn over baby, I want to see your face.”

“Okay,” Louis agrees, flipping himself over in one fluid motion.

“God you’re beautiful,” Harry says to him, pushing their mouths together and grabbing Louis in his hand.

Louis grabs the condom from where Harry has it next to them, rips it open, and swiftly puts in on Harry, giving him a few strokes once he has it on, telling him that he’s ready.

Harry breaks away from Louis’s mouth and grabs the bottle of lube, coating himself up. Once he’s ready, he leans down and gives Louis a quick peck on the lips.

“You’ll tell me to stop if it hurts, right?”

“Yes of course, love, but you prepped me so good, I’ll be fine.”

“Louis I just want this to be as good for you as I know it’s going to be for me.”

“And it will love, just put it in already.”

“Okay.”

Harry lines himself up with Louis’s hole. Louis legs are resting around Harry’s middle, giving him perfect access to Louis’s tight pink hole. He begins to push in, going as slow as possible, allowing Louis to get used to the feeling. Already just the head feels fucking amazing around Harry’s dick, Louis is still tight and is giving his dick incredible heat and friction.

“Louis you feel so amazing. It’ll be good for you so soon I promise.”

“Kiss me,” Louis says looking at Harry with a gaze so intense it looks like he is staring right into Harry’s soul.

Harry ducks his head down and presses their lips together, while also pushing his dick in further. They have begun to make out when Harry bottoms out.

They break apart and breathe into each other’s mouth, “okay?” Harry asks.

“Yeah, just move please.”

Harry slowly begins to move his hips in and out of Louis at an excruciatingly slow pace.

“Getting better,” Louis promises, hands on Harry’s cheeks.

Harry starts to move a little faster and then Louis lets out a high moan, stilling Harry immediately, “Louis did I hurt you?” He questions.

“No, you hit my sweet spot, do it again,” he says moving his hands to Harry’s torso.

“Yeah, you like it when I do that?”

“Fuck,” Louis says, biting back a moan as Harry brushes across his prostate again.  “Go faster,” Louis demands.

Harry obliges and starts moving his hips at a rapid pace, hitting Louis’s spot with each thrust. He can feel the familiar heat pooling in his abdomen that comes when he’s going to climax soon, so he grabs Louis in his hand and starts jerking him.

Louis is blissed out, only stuttering out a string of Harry’s name and cursing as he also gets close to coming.

Harry loses the fast and steady pace that he has set as his orgasm approaches.

“Fuck, I’m going to come,” Harry groans through his uneven lurches, jerking Louis fast. “I love you,” Harry moans. And with that Louis comes all over Harry’s hand and their torsos screaming Harry’s name.

The sight of Louis coming is enough to pull Harry over the edge and he also comes, continuing to thrust into Louis riding out his orgasm.

Once he’s finished and has stopped thrusting, Louis grabs him by the back of the head and kisses him.

“That was amazing, Harry, you were fantastic. That was fantastic.”

“I was alright? And I didn’t hurt you too much?”

“Not at all Harry, I love the stretch anyway.”

“Yeah,” Harry says, ‘I should probably pull out now.”

“Yeah,” Louis agrees.

Harry slowly removes himself from Louis, causing him to wince at the loss.  

“I’ll get us a flannel to clean us up.” Harry says removing the condom and tying it off. He gets up and throws the condom away.

“Stop looking at my bum,” Harry says as he goes to get the flannel.

“But I can’t help it,” Louis says. “It’s just so cute.”

Harry laughs and opens the door walking out. Not even 30 seconds later he is back with the flannel and in jumping on top of Louis.

“Mate, you’ve got something on your stomach,” he says.

“You don’t say,” Louis laughs, he’s in love with an idiot. “You’re the reason it’s there,” he grumbles grabbing the flannel out of Harry’s hand. He wipes away the drying come and throws it on the ground.

The two of them stand up and put on fresh pants.

 “Now get over here and snuggle with me,” he demands, giving Harry puppy dog eyes.

“If you insist.” Harry says, crawling up to be besides the older boy, kissing every part of his body as he does so. Once he reaches his mouth, Louis pulls him down so that they are on top of each other.

“I really love you, like a lot,” Louis says, “like so much it scares me.” He says seriously.

“Louis, I feel the exact same way, I’m crazy about you.”

“Good,” Louis says. “But there are still important conversations that we have to have.”

“Yes there are.”

“We have a lot to talk about and figure out. But right now I just want to cuddle with you and take a nap. We can worry about this when we wake up, yeah?”

“Yeah, I’d like that.” Harry kisses Louis very innocently and falls to the side of the bed, becoming Louis’s big spoon.

They talk a little, and let silence overtake them at times, but they never stop touching. Harry massages circles on Louis’s arm and Louis holds on to Harry’s hand. They fall asleep peacefully, their breaths becoming even and in sync.

 

\----

 

Harry wakes up a few hours later face to face with Louis, their bodies entangled. He checks the time on his phone to see that it’s just after six.

He decides that he wants to make them something to eat, so he untangles himself from Louis as softly as he can, so that he doesn’t disturb him.

Their kitchen is usually very well stocked, as Harry likes to cook, but right now he can’t think of what to make. What kind of meal goes with this situation? Harry isn’t sure.

After much deliberation, and about ten minutes, he’s decided on making homemade pizzas. He pulls out the ingredients for the dough and starts mixing them together. Once the dough is the right consistency he pulls it out of the bowl and starts kneading it on the counter.

The motion is calming. He didn’t realize how nervous he was before, now with nothing else to think about he’s starting to think about things he doesn’t want to. One of those things is telling people what happened today at his audition, but mostly it’s Louis. Louis makes him nervous, scared, but also extremely happy and loved.

He wants to be his boyfriend, so so bad. But all that comes with that scares him more than anything.

Before he realizes it the pizzas are ready to be put in the oven. With nothing else to do but wait, he checks his phone for the first time that day. He has about 20 missed calls and 40 unread texts from various people, probably wondering about the audition. But what catches his eye is a tweet notification. They only person he has those on for is Louis, so he already knows who it’s from, but what it says he has no idea. He opens the notification bar and reads, “Always in my heart @harry_styles . Yours sincerely , Louis.”

And Harry is crying, the boy he has in his bed is his favorite person in the world. So caring and kind, and fuck does Harry love him, more than anything in the world.

 

\----

 

Louis is woken up by Harry sucking on his dick.

His eyes shoot open and his body thrusts up once Harry takes him fully in his mouth.

“What is this for?” He questions, propped on his forearms so that he can look down at Harry.

His head falls back and he moans at Harry swallowing around him, once he gets control back of his body, Harry takes his dick out of his mouth and answers his question.

 “You deserve it.”

“Why?” he questions.

“Your tweet to me. I saw it.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, and it made me want to suck your dick, so you know how that I feel the same about you, too.”

“You could have just told me.”

“I am telling you, now shut up, I need to make you come before the pizzas are done.”

“Okay,” Louis says closing his eyes and letting his head fall back. Harry hollows his cheeks around Louis and fondles his balls in his hand.

“Harry, fuck.” Louis shouts, unable to stop himself from jerking. He feels the head of his dick hit the back of Harry’s throat and knows he’s about to come.

“ ‘M gonna” he manages to stutter out before he shoots thick ropes of come down the back of Harry’s throat. Harry doesn’t pop off until Louis is done, swallowing every drop of come that Louis gives him.

“Jesus Harry,” is all he can say before he is collapsing back onto the bed. “You suck dick like a fucking champ.” Harry tucks Louis back into his boxers.

“Thank you,” Harry says, rubbing Louis’s thigh.

“I mean it,” Louis says, sitting up and kissing Harry deeply. “Now what is this I hear about pizza?”

“I made us some, it’s in the oven, come check it with me?”

“Yeah,” Louis says getting up. “I’m starving.”

They make the short walk to the kitchen hand in hand neither wanting to let the other go.

 

\----

 

After they have eaten their delicious pizzas Harry and Louis are curled together on the couch. The flat is silent except for their breathing; Louis’s head is rested on Harry’s chest, the beat of Harry’s heart loud in his ear.

They lay like this, just holding each other for what feels like hours but is probably only 20 minutes before Louis sits up.

“Hazza, I think we should probably talk now.”

Harry takes a deep breath and sits up. “Yeah, we probably should.”

“Well, I’ve never had to do this before, so I don’t really know what to say, but that I love you, and want to be with you that is what I know.”

“I love you, too.” Harry responds. “And I want to be with you more than anything in the world.”

“Yeah, so does that make us boyfriends?”

“If you want that, then yes.”

“I want that, I want that so much, Harry.”

“Then we’re boyfriends.”

Louis jumps on top of Harry, straddling him on the couch. He grabs Harry’s face in his hands and kisses him, fast at first from desperation of needing to touch, but then it turns into soft and gentle kisses.

When they break apart for air Harry tells Louis that they still have a lot to talk about, so he sits back down next to him.

“I guess you’re right, but that doesn’t mean that I want to do anything but snog you senseless.”

“Trust me all I want to do right now is snog you but I want to do this right.” Harry pauses before adding, “Who do we tell?”

Louis thinks about it, and realizes how much of a tough question this is.

“I don’t know. I think that this is still so new and fragile that we don’t tell the viewers.”

“No, of course not, our relationship is going to be watched and criticized. If we’re going to do this we have to be all in. We have to be private and careful for a while. I don’t want this to end because we decided to put our viewers above all else.” Harry responds. “What about our families?”

“I don’t know…maybe not until we’ve been together for a while. If this goes wrong, which I don’t plan on, but if it does then I don’t want our families to suffer because of us.” Louis says thinking of their moms, who became best friends right along with the two of them. He doesn’t want to put them in an awkward position.

“Yeah, that’s good. But we have to tell someone, I can’t keep you a secret.”

“We tell our friends, and we drop subtle hints in our videos and tweets. People will figure it out.”

“What do you mean?”

Louis puts his hand on Harry’s heart. “When I realized, you know that I was in love with you I did some digging around on Tumblr and read all the theories and stuff and well, people are smart they pick up on things.”

“You really looked into that stuff?”

“Yeah, I mean it’s a large part of our fandom and I was curious so of course I did. You haven’t?”

“No, I mean a few times when we were younger, but it made me confused so I just avoided it.”

“Confused?”

“Yeah, like I started looking at you like in a ‘sexy’ way and had these thoughts, but I was convinced that I didn’t like you that way, so I just avoided it. I didn’t want to have to confront those feelings.”

“I understand that. I looked at it because I wanted to see something, you know. Proof that you felt the same way.”

“What did you find?”

“All kinds of stuff, you should see how talented our fans are, they make beautiful original art, photoshop amazing manips and write fan fiction that is better than some of the books that I’ve read. And they pick up on so much, they know so much about us, it’s scary at times.”

“You’ll have to show me some of it.” Harry says, brushing Louis’s hair from in front of his face and placing a kiss on his forehead.

“Anyways, what I’m saying is that if we were to tweet something cryptic, people would figure it out without us having to give a conformation of it actually being real.”

“I like that, but what should we tweet?”

“I don’t know,” Harry says, so they ponder for a while before deciding on two tweets:

Immediately their notifications with people asking them what it means and if they got hacked. They scroll through the replies for a while before they see that someone has gotten it.

They both favorite the tweet before locking their phones and setting them down.

“That should do it.” Louis says, curling back into Harry.

“What do we do now?” he asks.

“What do you mean?”

“Like with our YouTube and stuff?”

“I think we keep making videos and let things run their course, if someone approaches us and we like the contract then we can talk about it then, but for now we just keep being ‘Harry and Louis.’”

“Yeah, I like that.”

“Hey, Haz can I show you something.”

“Of course baby, what is it?”

“I’ll be right back, I’m going to go get it.”

Louis gets up and walks to his room, leaving Harry on the couch. When he comes back he has his song writing book in hand.

“Um, okay, I told myself that I was never going to share this with anyone, but after today, I want to share it with you. This is the song writing notebook that I have kept for a few years. I got it out the other day and reread most of them and realized that throughout the years I have written you a lot of songs. Love songs. And now I want to share them with you.”

“ _Louis.”_

“The reason that I got it out a few days ago was because I had an idea for a song, when I thought that you were going to get a record deal and that you were going to leave. It’s the last one, Don’t Forget Where You Belong.”

Harry takes his time looking through the songs, stopping every so often to ask when one was written or what a lyric means.”

“Louis these are beautiful, you have a real gift for writing.”

“Thank you, Harry, but I can’t take all the credit, I was inspired by a certain someone when I was writing.”

“He must be one luck fellow than,” Harry jokes, pulling Louis down with him.

“He is.”

“You were right,” Harry says, serious all of a sudden.

“About what?”

“Today was the most important day of my life, but not for the reason you thought. Today was important because I got you. I got us.”

“I never imagined today going this way, but I couldn’t be happier with how it went.”

“I’m glad,” Harry says, positioning their hips so that their crotches are lined up. “Now let me show you how much I love you,” he says while rolling his hips.

“Round two?” Louis asks.

“Round two,” Harry affirms pulling Louis’s head down, kissing him deeply.

 

\----

** PART II **

 

**One Week Later**

The past week has been nothing but, food, sex, and Louis. They’ve spent all their time together, exploring each other’s bodies, minds, and their relationship. Harry has loved every second of it, but it’s time they got back to the real world.

They are filming a video today, it’s a daily vlog as they were too preoccupied to prepare for anything else. Their last daily vlog they did like this is the second most liked video on their channel, and when Louis tweeted asking the fans if they wanted it, the responses were an overwhelming yes.

In the last vlog Harry started the video in the bed, but now that’s a little tricky because Louis is lying right next to him, their separate bedrooms have merged into one and Louis’s has become an office.

But in the name of tradition, he grabs his handheld camera from the bedside table. Once he’s made sure that you can’t tell that Louis is in bed with him, he turns it on and flips it to himself.

“Hi guys!” He says to the camera giving a small wave. “So as promised on twitter today Louis and I are going to be filming a daily vlog. We’ve got some fun stuff planned, and we just want to take you with us as we go about our Saturday.”

He pauses for a minute thinking of what to say, then realizing how awkward it is, he laughs and adjusts his hair with his free hand. “Sorry about my hair, it’s always very crazy and extra curly in the morning. But anyways what I always do in the morning is wake up and check the time, right now it is half past eight in the morning. Then I get distracted by Twitter and Instagram and am usually scrolling through my phone for hours before I get up and make some breakfast. Extremely exciting stuff, I know. Let’s go find Louis,” Harry says, stopping the camera, knowing there will be a cut to him finding Louis in the living room.

“I like your hair in the morning,” Louis says attacking Harry once the camera is set down, placing kitten kisses all over his face. “I love waking up next to you.”

Harry wraps his arms around Louis’s middle and flips them over so he’s on top. From underneath him Louis reaches up and takes a piece of Harry’s neck in his mouth, he applies a generous amount of suction and bites a little at the spot. Once he pulls away he kisses the spot.

“There, now everyone will know that you’re mine.”

“I love you,” Harry says kissing Louis on the forehead. “But we told Niall we’d be at his place at 10 with breakfast, so if we want to shower and have time for me to cook, we better get up.”

Louis pouts, “But all I want to do is lie here and make out with you.”

“Love, I would be down for that, but we have to get up, we have plans today.”

Louis pouts some more.

“Shower blowjobs, then?” Harry compromises.

Louis smiles like he is the sun.

“Now you’re speaking my language.”

 

Two sloppy shower blowjobs later, Harry has the camera again and is going to film himself with Louis.

He starts in the hallway, camera on himself while Louis sits in the living room on his phone.

“Okay so I’ve showered now and am on my way to find Louis, I think that I heard him in the living room.” Once he says that he turns the camera around as he walks, once he gets three quarters of the way through the hallway. “Oh, look what I found. A wild Louis Tomlinson.”

Louis laughs and gives the camera a wave.

“Hello people of the internet.”

Harry sits down besides Louis and has the camera pointed on them. They are basically sitting in each other’s laps. Harry looks over at Louis and falls in love all over again.

“So why don’t we go over our plans for the day?”

Louis agrees and makes a quick joke.

“Okay so right now Harry needs to make us some breakfast because we promised Niall that we would bring him some food while Barbra is out of town. Then we’re going to go grocery shopping because our food supply is getting dangerously low. And then we’re going to hang out with my friend Liam for a while.”

“Yeah, it’s going to be my first time meeting him, so I’m excited,” Harry adds.

“And then I think we’re just going to come home and watch some crap TV and make some dinner.”

“Yeah, sounds about right.” Harry agrees, arm shaking. “Here you take the camera, my arm is getting tired.”

Louis takes the camera with minimal disruption. “Okay well, Haz has to go and cook now so say goodbye.” Harry waves and gets up from the couch.

“Stop filming my bum,” he says feeling Louis’s eyes and the camera on him.

“But it’s so cute,” Louis says, still filming.

“Yeah, well, you are allowed to appreciate it, not millions of people on YouTube.”

“Aww, Haz that’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me, come kiss me,” he says putting the camera down.

Harry grumbles, but kisses Louis anyways. Under his breath he mumbles, “Want you to take care of it, too.”

Hearing that causes Louis to pull away.

“Do you mean that?”

“Of course I do,” Harry says, connecting their foreheads. “Want you to fill me up.”

“I might be able to do that,” Louis says through a kiss.

“Yeah? I know you like to bottom more, but my bum needs some attention, too.”

“Okay,” Louis says. He’s only topped once before, his last boyfriend didn’t like to bottom, so he always did it, and now just prefers it. But the thought of doing it with Harry makes him excited.

“God, now I don’t want to go cook,” Harry says.

“I don’t want you to go either, but we promised Niall.”

“I know.”

“And we finally get to tell someone.”

“Yeah, that’s exciting. Very exciting.”

“Then get that cute little bum into the kitchen and make breakfast. I’ll fuck you tonight.”

“Fine.” Harry says, getting up again.

Louis gives his bum a nice squeeze to affirm his promise. When Harry looks back at him he just winks and blows a kiss.

 

At ten o’clock right on the dot, Louis rings Niall’s doorbell, Harry is holding the food and Louis is holding the camera, ready to film him. They filmed a little while Harry was cooking, but most of the footage will be unusable as it was just a fond-fest.

Niall opens the door still with bed hair and in a pair of joggers.

“Oi, mates, ‘m starving.”

Harry and Louis laugh, and Niall finally notices the camera pointed at him.

“Well hello internet,” he jokes, “welcome to my crib,” he says extending his arm like they do on the TV show “Cribs.”

Louis grabs Niall into a hug and Harry does the same.

“The food smells amazing, what is it?” Niall asks grabbing for it.

“All the breakfast essentials.” Harry answers, Niall already walking into the flat. They follow him, shutting off the camera as they go.

“Thank God, I’ve been living off of dry cereal and ramen noodles since Babs left, some real food sounds amazing right now.”

The three of them chat and eat and occasionally film when some funny things happen. It’s easy and fun. As things start to wind down, Louis nudges Harry’s knee and tilts his head toward Niall, a motion that says “let’s tell him already.”

Harry clears his throat, “uh, Niall, I…we have something to tell you.”

“I already know about the audition, I was on that mass email list you sent out,” he says, waving Harry off.

The day after the audition, instead of replying individually to every person asking him how it went, he just sent off a mass email saying that it wasn’t for him, but that he was thankful for everyone who had sent him well wishes. It was quite a good decision. The only person he actually called was him mum and he basically said the same thing to her, refusing to get into any specific details.

“Oh, it’s not about that.” He says, grabbing Louis hand.

Niall sits up and looks curiously between them.

“We’re together now,” Harry rushes out, not really sure of another way to put it. “We’re boyfriends.”

“Really? Guys that’s great. I knew this would happen eventually. I’m so happy for you guys,” Niall says enthusiastically, getting up and hugging both of them.

“You’re the first person we’ve told, so.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Wow, I’m honored. When did this happen?”

“Same day as the audition. The two things are connected actually,” Louis says, squeezing Harry’s hand.

The three of them then talk some more and film a goodbye before they actually leave a half an hour later.

Grocery shopping is next on their agenda, the go to Tesco’s and fill up their cart, filming bits and pieces of the trip. Walking home is interesting because they have to carry all the groceries, but luckily they live really close and make it there in under ten minutes.

Louis films Harry putting the groceries away, his commentary has Harry forgetting that he is meant to be helping. Louis is good at looking busy.

Once the groceries are away and Harry has fed Louis lunch they meet up with Liam, who they don’t film. Harry and Liam hit it off immediately. When Louis tells him that they are together, he just smiles and tells them that he is very happy for them. When Harry isn’t looking Liam gives Louis a proud wink. 

That night at home, Louis steals Harry’s sweater and helps him make dinner. He has no idea how to cook, so Harry has to help him with every step, but that makes it fun for them. Harry loves being domestic. As the night winds down they continue to film bits and pieces that Louis will cut together into a video tomorrow.

While their cuddling on the couch watching the first Harry Potter, Louis suggests they film an ending, so they pause the movie and say their goodbyes to the camera.

As soon as the camera is put down, Louis is set on fulfilling his promise.

And he does. A little while later Harry is shooting loads of come while Louis fucks into him chasing his own orgasm. When they come down from their highs, they snuggle tightly and fall asleep in tangled with each other’s bodies.

 

\----

 

**One Month Later**

Life for Louis couldn’t get better, he has his boy, they are putting out incredible music and their fan base continues to grow. Everything is just really good.

That’s why when an email comes to their official email from Sony Music, his stomach drops. It’s not that he’s not excited by the potential of getting a record deal, it’s just that the last time he had to deal with a record company, it almost split him and Harry apart. He likes how things are going right now, he doesn’t want things to change, especially so soon.

He clicks on the email and then quickly clicks the back button before it loads. Harry needs to be here when he opens it, they are in this together.

Right now though, Harry is in class, so Louis will have to wait, but he does text Harry about the email.

He locks his phone and goes about his business until Harry comes home about 45 minutes later. When Harry gets there he is still in the office, working on the composition for their next original.

He hears the door open and Harry saying he’s home. Louis calls back telling him he’s in the office. A few minutes later Harry comes into the office in a pair of Louis’s joggers and a Rolling Stones shirt. He sits down on Louis lap, says hello and gives him a kiss.

“So what is this I hear about an email?”

“Sony Music has emailed us, I have absolutely no idea what about, but I didn’t want to open it without you here.”

“Yeah, that seems like a good decision,” Harry decides. “But I’m here now so let’s open it.”

“Okay,” Louis agrees, patting the seat next to him.

Harry moves from on top of Louis to his own seat, while Louis opens up their inbox.

“Let’s agree that whatever this says, nothing changes. We still love each other and want to make music, if this helps that, then great, but I it doesn’t than we can say no, okay?”

“I like that,” Louis says, clicking on the email.

While it loads the two of them kiss, when they break apart the email is up on the screen.

They read over it, hand in hand.

Louis skims, finding the important bits and ignoring the rest.

“So they just want to meet with us about a possible deal, that’s not bad, right?” Harry asks.

“It sounds… promising. “ Louis agrees.

“Yeah, it does. And it doesn’t go against what we just said…”

“What do you think?”

“I think that it couldn’t hurt to go and meet with them, learn more, you know?”

So they compose a reply email together that basically says that want to meet with Sony Music and that they are interested in learning more.

 

“Mr. Styles, Mr. Tomlinson, so nice to see you,” a man with dusty brown hair says, shaking their hands. “Take a seat, this shouldn’t take long.”

Harry and Louis sit in the red chairs opposite of the desk.

“Mr. Cowell, thank you so much for inviting us, this opportunity really means a lot to us.”

“Of course, I’ll get right to it, no use in wasting time. My off-set of Sony, Syco is very interested in picking you up. We’ve been watching your YouTube channel the past few months and have been very impressed with the content you’re making and how well you’re doing.”

“Thank you,” Harry says.

“Over the last few months your subscriber count has gone up a tremendous amount and continues to rise, your view count per video is consistent and very high, your original songs sell nicely without any other promotion than from yourselves. Your fan involvement is some of best I’ve ever seen. And you do it all yourselves, without a manager or label, it’s all very impressive.”

“Thank you, again,” Louis says, turning towards Harry and smiling. “We’re very proud of all of our accomplishments.” He grabs Harry’s thigh gives it a reassuring pat. Their channel is doing really well since they got together. Their chemistry has done wonders for building their brand, they are making amazing original music (sappy as hell). Their love translates on the screen everyone can see it. In their last video, they had jizz stains on their jeans, needless to say their comment section was full of people making explicit comments about their sex life.

“And so am I,” Mr. Cowell says, “And that is why I want to give you boys a shot.”

Louis’s heart starts racing, “a shot for what.”

“I want to get you a manager, I want to give you a shot to make music with a proper record deal.”

“That sounds…amazing…thank you.”

“It’s nothing big, I just want to give you boys a chance to show the world who you are.”

“That sounds great, just, I think we need some time to discuss this, we have somethings we need to work out.”

“Yeah, of course. I wouldn’t want to pressure you guys into anything. I want you guys to make this decision yourselves. I’ll lead you to one of our meeting rooms so that you guys can have a place to talk.”

Simon stands up and walks around his desk, Harry and Louis stand up and follow behind him. They walk down the hall and are lead into a pretty big room that has an oval table in the middle of it.

“This room is free for a while, you guys can have use it for now, when you’re done talking, my office will be open, this was my only meeting today.”

Harry gives Simon a short reply and once he leaves Harry and Louis sit down at the head of the table. Once they’re sure he’s gone, they kiss.

Their innocent kiss gets heated real fast and soon Louis is in Harry’s lap. When Harry breaks away for air Louis whispers into Harry’s mouth, “I want to come out.”

“I want that, too, want it so much.”

They continue to kiss before they are laughing into each other’s mouths.

“I think that we are meant to be talking.”

Harry laughs, “Yeah, we should probably do that.”

Louis sits back in his own seat, grabbing Harry’s hand.

“Honestly, I think this sounds really good, good for us,” Louis says linking their fingers.

“Yeah, it does, of course we need to talk to a lawyer and our moms and make sure that they are going to allow us to come out, but I think this is really promising.”

“I think so, too.”

When they finish talking, they go back and meet with Simon. They get a copy of the contract to go over with some lawyers, they tell Simon that they plan on coming out.

When it’s all over and they go home and make love.

The next few months are hectic. There is lots of contracts and lawyers and decisions to be made. But they keep their deal, everything they decide only has to do with them loving each other and wanting to make music.

 

**New Years**

 

“Babe you look hot today,” Harry says as Louis walks into the room.

Louis blushes, months later Harry still gives him butterflies and makes him shy.

It’s New Years and they are going to spend their day making their coming out video. “You always look good, so hot, make me crazy.”

Louis kisses Harry in response, “I love you. Let’s do this.”

And they do. They film a coming out video. They first tell their story on how they realized that they were gay, how they dealt with the shipping, how they got together. It’s sincere and honest. They talk about how it’s the New Year and they want this to be a new them. They also talk about their record deal and this being their best year, the year that everything begins.

When it’s uploaded they see nothing but support and their shippers rejoicing. They spend a while online replying to people and “breaking the internet.”

But then it’s just the two of them, and they’re happy. They hold each other and cry. They cry and allow themselves to just be happy. There is still a lot ahead of them, but right now they have each other and their music and that’s all they need.

****

** **

**EPILOUGE**

“Hazza, I am not going to sing this hipster, indie shit. I want to make music that people actually like.”

“Babe, people do like this kind of music.”

“Yeah, but only weird people like you.”

“You love me though.”

“I may love you, but not your music preferences, come on Haz, I want to make music that will play on the radio, music that people can jam to that will make them happy.”

“Lou, people will be happy listening to this, I wrote it about you, people will just feel my happiness and feel happy listening to it.”

“Not if it’s to that music.”

They decided that as artists they wanted to be unique and individual, but as a duet they are having trouble pinning down a sound that they can agree on.

Though they’ve been working on an album for three months, and have written loads of songs, they only can agree on one song. It’s called “The One.” It was inspired by an argument one late night after another unproductive day in the studio, there was a lot of yelling and then kissing and them saying poetic things to each other, which basically resulted in this song:

_Tell me,_

_Tell me that you want me,_

_And I’ll be yours completely_

_For better or for worse._

_I know,_

_We’ll have our disagreements,_

_Be fighting for no reason._

_I wouldn’t change it for the world._

_‘Cause I knew_

_The first day that I met you_

_I was never gonna let you,_

_Let you slip away._

_And I_

_Still remember feeling nervous_

_Trying to find the words to_

_Get you here today._

_You make my heart feel like it’s summer_

_When the rain is pouring down._

_You make my whole world feel so right when it’s wrong._

_That’s how I know you are the one._

_That’s why I know you are the one_

_Life_

_It’s easy to be scared of._

_With you I am prepared for_

_What is yet to come._

_‘Cause our two_

_Hearts will make it easy_

_Joining up the pieces_

_Together making one._

_You make my heart feel like it’s summer_

_When the rain is pouring down_

_You make my whole world feel so right when it’s wrong_

_That’s how I know you are the one_

_That’s why I know you are the one_

_When we are together you make me feel like my mind is free and my dreams are reachable, whoa_

_You know I never ever believed in love, I believed one day that you would come along and free me_

_You make my heart feel like it’s summer_

_When the rain is pouring down_

_You make my whole world feel so right when it’s wrong_

_That’s how I know you are the one_

_That’s why I know you are the one_

_That’s why I know you are the one_

_That’s how I know you are the one_

It’s their song. The song that will play at their wedding, the song they will listen to for the rest of forever. Because it’s them. It’s their story, their love in a song.

They might not agree on the sound that they want, but the when it comes to lyrics, expressing themselves in writing, they are on the same page. They love each other, and that is all that matters. The rest will work itself out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed.  
> [come say hi on tumblr](http://madeintheamera.tumblr.com/)


End file.
